The Seer and the Escape Artist
by mezzo-muse
Summary: A 6th year Ravenclaw student begins to unlock a dark secret about her abilities as a Seer with the help of her Slytherin best friend. (Occurs during Half-Blood Prince) Friendship/Adventure/Dark/Romance/LGBT/Suspense (A background Ravenclaw and Slytherin story).
1. The Empty Cage

**A/N: This is my first fan fiction in about 5 years. I graduated from college with a minor in screenwriting and found it very difficult to write fiction since reprogramming my mind to write in the format of screenplays.**

 **I have wanted to write another Harry Potter fan fiction for quite some time. This story is purely a small present for my best friend who is also and has been a writer since circa 2005. So, to my dear best friend, who is a Slytherin, this is for you… -From your Ravenclaw best friend.**

 **This story begins in Year 6 (Half-Blood Prince), during Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts.**

 **It is written from the perspective of a background Ravenclaw. This story is about her adventures with her Slytherin best friend.**

 **Disclaimer: The characters and the Harry Potter Universe are properties of J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

 ****The Empty Cage****

The cobble-stoned street beneath her feet was icy as she wandered aimlessly through a dark and misty alleyway. She reached out and touched the brick wall beside her for guidance as she walked further into the darkness. The whispers had led her down this way. They were saying things. They called her name.

She tried to find markers around her, a sight of anything familiar that might possibly give her some sense of location. She was sure that she was somewhere in Knockturn Alley. But the mist was thick and choking. Everything around her seemed unfamiliar and upside-down.

Her head began to spin and suddenly the whispering sounded as if she were hearing a conversation right beside her. But she saw no one. Nothing but more thick mist and darkness.

She sank to her knees and clasped her arms around her legs.

Energy seemed to be seeping from her and she struggled to stay upright.

 _It's here…_ A raspy female voice said beside her.

 _It musn't be found!_ Shouted another.

There were footsteps. They were coming closer. She would be found and there was nothing she could do.

 _What do you risk in giving in?_ Hissed a voice so close to her ear, she could feel the hot breath of whomever was speaking.

She didn't dare speak back. She was already at risk in being here. Giving herself away would have consequences.

Someone grasped her by the front of her shirt and heaved her up to her feet.

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

 _We cannot see your face,_ whispered the voice.

 _But make no mistake, we will find you…_

Suddenly, a white hot pain seared the skin just below her collarbone. Again, she screamed but nothing came out.

The air began rushing around her, and she felt herself tossed around until she finally came to a rest on something soft. Opening her eyes, she realized she was back in her bedroom.

She was sitting up in bed, the front of her shirt bunched up at the collar as if it had just been grasped by someone. She was soaked in sweat and began peeling off her shirt, but a searing pain near her left shoulder stopped her from pulling it off.

The grasped blindly at her bedside table for her wand.

" _Lumos_!" She whispered, relieved to hear her own voice.

As she shone the light from her wand upon herself, she found a deep long gash just below her left collarbone, in the shape of a crescent.

" _Tergeo_ ," she said, aiming the wand directly at her wound. But the blood that had already begun to dry, did not clear away. She scoured her mind for another spell. The wound burned fiercely, and she feared that she would soon wake her grandparents in the next room if she didn't control the situation.

Her room was dark, and the only noise she could hear was her panting breath as she began panicking. There was no way she was going to be able to hide this from her grandparents.

Especially her grandmother.

" _Episkey!_ "

Still nothing. The wound continued to bleed and burn. She grasped for a small tea towel on her nightstand and applied pressure to the wound.

"Kayla!"

She stood abruptly, dizzy from the pain. Her grandmother burst into the room, wand extended and illuminated.

"What happened? Let me see! -Oh my… -Irwin!" She shouted. Kayla's grandmother grasped at her shoulder, making her cry out in pain.

"What is it, Marie?" Irwin asked, still half asleep.

Kayla winced and sat down on the bed. "She's done it again, Irwin! She's gone and bloody done it again!"

She and her grandfather glanced at each other for a moment, and she watched as his tiredness visibly melted away and grave concern took over.

"Fetch your box, Irwin."

Irwin mumbled for a moment, desperate to say something comforting to his granddaughter. But nothing came forth and he turned and left the room.

Hot tears began running down Kayla's face before she could stop them. Her grandmother shushed her and tucked her granddaughter's dark hair behind her ear.

"It's okay, your grandfather may be a retired Healer, but he still knows how to fix every ailment from Portkey-sickness to Spattergroit."

Soon, her grandfather returned, wooden box in hand. She could hear the various glass bottled potions within clanking against one another. He sat on the bed beside her and inspected the wound.

"I've already tried _Episkey_ and _Tergeo,"_ she said, her voice hoarse and sore.

With a shaking hand, he pulled out his wand and aimed it at the wound.

" _Vulnera Sanentur_ ," he said confidently. The cut began burning and Kayla cried in agony as her skin began to slowly heal. " _Vulnera Sanentur…"_ he said again, his voice wavering.

When he was finished, he lowered his wand and looked to his wife with deep concern.

"What is it, Irwin?"

Kayla was dizzy and leaned against one of the posts of her bed for balance. Her grandfather pushed a small vial into her hand and urged her to drink. She was sure it was something to help her sleep.

"Tell me Irwin, what's wrong?"

Irwin mumbled something and scratched his head as he paced the room.

Exasperated, Marie looked at her granddaughter and then to her husband.

"Merlin's beard! Will no one tell me what is going on?!"

Kayla drank the potion quickly. It's thick and plummy taste was pleasant and relieved her sore throat. She could feel it taking hold of her already and felt herself falling.

Marie caught her granddaughter and placed a pillow beneath her head. She covered her with a blanket before turning abruptly toward her husband.

"Irwin Roth, you tell me right now. You tell me what's happened to her!"

She lifted her illuminated wand only to see that his face was filled with fear and confusion.

"It's happened again, Marie. She's done it again."

Marie's mouth fell open and she looked back at Kayla, afraid she might disappear right before her very eyes.

"It's cursed," he said, his voice hoarse. "The wound."

She turned back to him, a million questions began to bubble up from her throat.

"How… What do we do? She can't know the truth about what she is!"

Irwin's shook his head, "You don't think she already knows? She's clever, Marie. She already knows."

Marie cupped her hand over her mouth, her hazel eyes glistening in the light of her wand.

"Then what do we do? She leaves for school in just two more days!"

"I'll send a letter to the head of her house as well as Dumbledore. I'll ask for their advice. They may be able to help."

"Send an owl tonight," she whispered as she glanced back at her granddaughter.

"Tell them it's urgent."

—

There was a sense of urgency that grew when a storm began to roll through. Kayla perched herself on a bench in her grandparents' library and stared out of the tall windows. The forest near the house swayed in the breeze as dark clouds churned over them. Something within her chest began to hum and she clutched her legs close to her chest. She could feel her heart hammering against them.

Ever since she was a little girl, she'd always felt this way when a storm moved in. Perhaps it was the energy from the storm, maybe it was something else.

A light breeze drifted through the library from an open window on the opposite side of the room. Beside the window, an empty cage stood. Two days previous, Kayla's grandfather had sent an urgent owl to Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

Walter, her grandfather's owl (Irwin always prized giving sophisticated names to animals), was often quick to return responses. But Walter had not returned.

The silence had plagued Marie, Kayla's grandmother. She was an impatient woman, (a trait that had been passed on), and had urged Irwin to write another letter as soon as possible.

None of this however, Kayla was supposed to know. She had heard her grandparents whispering about the letter the night she had the dream. Just before the potion her grandfather had given her, pulled her deep down into the deep depths of restful sleep, she'd heard bits and pieces of what they were saying.

Over the years, she had coaxed Walter to deliver her grandparents' letters to her first. She would read them, seal them up without them knowing, and then send Walter on his way. Walter would do most anything for an extra mouse or two.

Now, the cage stood empty. After dreams like the one she had, Kayla often felt drained, as if everything within her had seeped out. Dark circles hung below her eyes and she had barely managed to eat anything. But as the dark storm outside approached the house and lightning began to flash, she felt an energy begin to spark from within.

Something was coming.

There was another cage in the library, where Kayla's own owl, Driscoll, often resided. But his cage was empty too. It had been empty since late June. The soft brown and white barn owl had gone to deliver a letter to Kayla's best friend Catherine Delaney and had not returned. She'd spent the entire summer without a scrap of news. At first she had feared that something had happened to Driscoll. But she had dreamt that he was somewhere safe and warm and that he would soon return, and that was enough to console her.

Heavy rain began to pummel the windows and Kayla stood and crossed the room to close the window. She stood for a moment, looking out at the woods. She was alone. Her grandparents couldn't understand. They would never understand. The things she felt and the things she saw were somehow real. Every single time she had recounted one of her dreams to them, they seemed to understand what was happening to her.

Kayla knew what she was. Her grandparents knew what she was.

She was a Seer.

As she said the word in her head, the crescent wound beneath her collarbone burned and began to throb. She pulled at her blouse to inspect it. It was finally healing but she was sure it was going to leave a scar. She wished she could talk to Catherine about it. Though she was sure her friend would make a jab at her and start calling her "Potter". But she knew deep down, Catherine would understand and she would want answers too.

The sooner she could get back to Hogwarts, the better. She would have the Hogwarts library at her fingertips. And with Catherine's uncanny ability to get into restricted areas, perhaps she would find some answers on what this cursed cut meant.

But with meaning, came knowledge. And once she knew, she could never truly forget. She asked herself if she really wanted to know all of the answers.

But a voice from within her always came back with a resounding, _**yes.**_

There was a flash of lightning and the window panes shook as thunder rumbled over the house. Kayla glanced at a portrait draped in a curtain on the wall beside her. Beneath the heavy purple drapes, she knew the image of her mother and father resided. They would be smiling down at her. But she couldn't will herself to look at it.

Since their disappearance, she had only managed to look at it a handful of times. She knew her father's dark hair and olive skin matched her own. And that over the years, she'd somehow adopted her mother's sophisticated sense of style. She remembered that her mother and her wore matching pendants. They were a reminder that no matter their difference of opinion over the years, they were still connected. At first, Kayla had rolled her eyes at the idea of matching mother/daughter pendants. Now, she felt as if it were the only last living connection to her parents. She touched her pocket absentmindedly, to check to see if the pendant was still in her pocket.

Her grandparents didn't have the answers. And as the dreams had gotten worse over the past year, they'd begun to leave her alone. This left her more isolated than she already was.

Kayla walked over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out one her grandfather's tattered books on Healing.

For now, she had to occupy her mind. She had to fill the emptiness with words and possibly answers.


	2. The Man Without a House

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.**

 **I have rated this story T thus far, but may bump it up to M for later chapters.**

* * *

 ****The Man Without a House****

Marie Roth despised getting to Charing Cross Road. She hated the crowd, the noise and even the smells. She was also not very fond of the clientele that often inhabited the Leaky Cauldron. Her husband and granddaughter however, were positively giddy as they nearly skipped across the road and into the pub ahead of her. It seemed like years since she'd seen Kayla this happy and that was enough for her.

So when Irwin suggested that they stop in to eat before heading to Diagon Alley, she did little to protest. Kayla was already pulling out some Sickles to order her usual soup when Marie finally agreed.

"Game pie please!" Irwin exclaimed to the barkeep as Kayla handed him the money.

"Wonderful, now you can get your entire year's worth of meat in one sitting," quipped Marie.

As they all settled down on one of the benches near the fireplace at the back of the pub, Irwin patted his belly, "Everything is fine in moderation."

"I don't think it's moderation if you eat every animal flying and walking in one sitting, Papa." Kayla teased.

They laughed and joked throughout the meal, all desperately trying to make light of the fact that they would be separated until the holidays. Goodbyes were never easy in the Roth household, especially since Irwin and Marie's daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Zachary had gone missing.

"Why don't you order some of that Exploding Lemonade," Marie suggested to Kayla, as she pulled out her coin purse. "It'll be good for you."

Kayla, who had ordered a cup of Earl Grey, pulled it closer to her.

"I'm fine with this."

Marie cocked her head in scrutiny. "You look ill, Kayla. Some Exploding Lemonade will fix you right up. Why don't you just go right on up there and order some?"

Kayla didn't want Exploding Lemonade. The tea was comforting and it was giving her just the right amount of energy at the moment to keep her level headed.

An awkward silence passed over the table and Irwin sipped his brandy to conceal his embarrassment.

"You know," Irwin blurted, half choking on his brandy. "I remember Kayla said she was going to meet Catherine at Florean Fortescue's before they bought their school supplies. Weren't you?"

Kayla nodded a bit too quickly. Of course, she didn't know where she was meeting Catherine. She hadn't heard from Catherine all summer and felt slightly sour still from the absence of her best friend.

"Fine," Marie shoved her coin bag into her purse. "But remember to drop by Gringotts and get your allowance beforehand."

Kayla rolled her eyes. She didn't know why her grandmother continued to talk to her like she was a child, even though they both knew she was a responsible and intelligent individual who hadn't gotten into Ravenclaw on luck.

Marie had been a Slytherin when she had attended Hogwarts. It was Kayla's touchstone whenever her grandmother became a little out of hand and patronizing. She remembered reading about each of the traits of the four houses and had tried to guess each of her family member's house before they could tell her. More often than not, she was correct.

Marie had always been a determined woman. She often touted that she had to make up for her short stature with ambition and cleverness.

 _Prove to your enemies that you are the cleverest and they will fall without you ever lifting your wand,_ her grandmother had written one winter when Kayla was being bullied by an over-confident Gryffindor student.

Kayla was happy that her grandmother's cleverness outweighed the traditional personality aspect of Slytherin. She'd grown up in a family full of Hufflepuffs and even seven years at Hogwarts amongst mostly pure-blood students hadn't made her prejudiced.

Kayla's grandfather however, was a mystery. He had all of the intelligence and wit and stamina of a Ravenclaw. But something had happened to him, something Kayla had never had explained to her fully. And he'd grown quiet. He had kind eyes and whispery soft white hair.

He was always patient with his wife always scurrying this way and that way. He'd been a hardworking Healer and had even done some secret work for the Ministry for some time. He'd even been asked by the Minister himself to become an Auror when he was younger, but had declined.

"I'm here to alleviate, not arrest," he had told the Minister of Magic.

Even now she thought he went back and forth between and Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff.

One evening, while he was out out trimming his Dittany bush near the edge of the woods, she had decided she had plucked up enough courage to ask him straight out about which house he had been in.

He turned to her, smiling softly. He pulled out a sprig of Asphodel from his pocket and handed it to her.

"It matters not what we call ourselves, what titles we put upon us. It is what we do with our life and how we explore and shape our world that truly reveals who we are."

That evening, Kayla had tried to recall his words precisely and marked them down on some parchment, as to not forget them. She bottled the sprig of Asphodel and took it with her to school as a reminder of his words.

Hurriedly, she had copied her grandfather's quote, adding how clever it was. She added a paragraph of how visionary it seemed, before sending it off with Driscoll to bring to Catherine. Surely, she would appreciate the quote.

Even now, as she glanced over at her grandfather, whose slight hand tremor caused him quite a deal in getting the food to his mouth, he seemed to hide and know something she did not.

"You're taking an awfully long time to drink that tea, Miss!" Her grandmother was teasing. It was Marie's way of saying goodbye. If she was ever so slightly mean, it would mean saying goodbye would be just a tad easier.

Kayla had been indeed procrastinating. The bottom of her cup had been empty for quite some time. She'd been absent-mindedly sucking on the rim of the cup for nearly twenty minutes now.

"You'd better get on your way then. I'm sure you're dying to see Catherine. -You know the Delaney's have always been a good family."

Kayla stood, her heart aching as she tried to savor the moment with her grandparents for just a second longer. She loved Hogwarts, she loved school, but she was worried about them. Always.

Marie grabbed both of Kayla's hands and looked at her directly.

"Now remember, we've booked you a room upstairs for the night and all of your things are there. Your trunk. Your cage. -I didn't see Driscoll anywhere but I'm sure he'll return."

This was Marie's way of hugging you could say. She wasn't a lovey-dovey type person. Concern and reminding was her way of showing affection.

After Kayla assured her grandmother, she hugged her grandfather before turning and leaving quickly. It was best not to look back. If she did, worry would flood her head.

She knew that since the dream, they had been even more concerned for her than usual.

But before she headed out the back to Diagon Alley, she turned one last time. Her grandmother was already gathering her things to leave. Her grandfather however, was still watching her leave, that soft smile still on his face, his eyes traced with concern.

As she turned to head out to Diagon Alley, a wave of happiness washed over her. Diagon Alley was one of her favorite places on the planet. She tried to concentrate on that instead of her grandfather's concerned face. And more importantly, she tried to remember his words she had scribbled down and kept with her.

She remembered Catherine's response to her letter:

 ** _It may be clever but I'll tell you, he's most definitely not a Slytherin._**


	3. The Escape Artist

**A/N: Thank you to all who've read the first two chapters. More to come...**

* * *

Kayla's heart swelled as she stepped onto the cobble-stoned streets of Diagon Alley. There was something about all of the shops, each one smushed up against the other, that filled her heart with glee. The sensation of optimism washed over her each and every time she made her way down the narrow alleyway to purchase her school supplies.

Perhaps, it was the apothecary that lifted her spirits. The idea of purchasing new supplies for her Potions class, put an extra kick in her step. Potions was indeed her favorite class. While most of the other students despised and even feared Professor Snape, Kayla could not help but feel somewhat drawn to the professor. He was dedicated in his craft, even though everyone knew he fancied teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. But she had proven herself skillful in his class and enjoyed the patience and dedication it took to achieve the art of potion-making.

She walked up to the storefront of Mr. Culpepper's Apothecary and peered in through the dirty windows at some of the bottled bits and bobs. At first observation of the window display, his stock appeared to be quite low compared to the last time she had visited.

But before she was to purchase Runespoor fangs, Clabbert pustules, cleaning solutions, and all of the other ingredients on her school supply list, she would need to visit Gringotts to get her yearly allowance.

As she walked toward the end of the alleyway, the towering building of Gringotts bank, a foreboding feeling overcame her. She hated going into Gringotts. Something about the place always gave her the willies.

 _ **Just go in, get your money, and then get out. The sooner you go in, the sooner you can find Catherine** , _she told herself.

She took a deep breath, clutched her fists, and walked into Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

* * *

Flourish and Blotts was filled to the brim with first year students collecting their books. Nervous parents clambered over one another to get their hands on prized first editions, the always required _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_ and _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_.

" _A History of Magic_?" Cried a first year girl, "But Mum, I've already read your copy of it a dozen times. I don't need it."

Up above, tucked in a corner of the bookstore, Catherine Delaney flipped through a copy of _Curses and Counter-Curses_.

 _ **Probably a Ravenclaw** , _she thought to herself as the young girl pleaded with her mother. But the mother was insistent on purchasing the new version and pushed it into her daughter's hands. When the mother turned to inspect a copy of _Charms and Spells_ , the young girl shoved the copy of _History of Magic_ back into the shelf and walked toward the back of the store, unbeknownst to her mother.

Catherine smiled. **_Maybe not a Ravenclaw after all._**

She stood and browsed through the endless books. Catherine loved Flourish and Blotts. It had been her and Kayla's favorite store for years.

The smell of leather, old parchment and ink… It was a scent that they both cherished.

She couldn't wait to see her best friend again, but at the same time, the thought made her feel slightly sick.

She knew Kayla would be mad. All summer she hadn't responded to any of her friend's letters. She had felt a pang of guilt each time she had sent Driscoll back to Kayla, empty-clawed.

Kayla was having terrifying dreams again. The dreams were coming in waves. They pulled her best friend down to the depths of a horrific labyrinth filled with monsters and disembodied voices. When they were in their second year at Hogwarts, Kayla had teased more than once that her own dreams were perhaps prophetic, but had brushed it off. But that had been years ago, when dreams of hooded figures speaking in unknown tongues had been rationalized as night terrors or figments of memories reimagining themselves. But over the past couple of years, the dreams had gotten even darker.

Catherine knew Kayla did not divulge every detail of her dreams. Some of those dreams had come true, others had not. There were dreams of snakes speaking softly through the stone walls of Hogwarts, nightmares of the flesh of her hand being torn and ripped to spell out horrific words, and more recently, a dark spectre hovering in the corner of a classroom sobbing and speaking incoherently.

The recent dream was the last dream Kayla had written to her about. And that had been months ago.

Driscoll, Kayla's barn owl, had stayed with Catherine the rest of the summer. He had tried to peck at her fingers when she fed him. He had flapped his wings against the cage in protest. He'd even defecated on her bookshelf when she permitted him to stretch his wings around her large bedroom. But she couldn't let him go outside. She couldn't let him return to Kayla.

Catherine had heard things. Her father worked for the Ministry. Snippets and whispers of interception, collusion and coercion came from her father's study late at night. Catherine had lingered just outside as her father spoke to an unknown person. She had pressed her ear to the old oak door, eager to find out anything she could. She had been grateful that there were no protective enchantments concealing her father's conversation with the stranger.

"They've begun intercepting owls, Henry." The stranger whispered.

She could hear her father pacing, his heavy footsteps causing the floorboards to creak.

"They're intercepting anyone who might have insight. Anyone who might know where the Dark Lord's current location is. They want information."

There was a beat of silence. Catherine could tell that her father was thinking, mulling all of this over and figuring out how to respond. He wasn't as impulsive as his wife. She knew that her father's response would be careful and calculated.

"They're targeting Seers, Henry."

Catherine's own heartbeat thrummed in her ears.

Suddenly, the footsteps neared the door and she turned quickly before bounding up the stairs to her room.

Driscoll, who had been napping in on her dresser before making the long journey back to Kayla, jumped in surprise as Catherine flung open the door. She raced to her trunk and pulled out the letters Kayla had sent her.

A pang of sorrow ricocheted in her chest as she hugged the letters to her chest. They were her only connection to her best friend.

As she made her way back down the stairs, she listened to her father say goodbye to the stranger before he concealed himself back inside the confines of his study. Catherine padded to the fireplace in the parlor. She hugged the letters one last time before disposing each one carefully into the flames.

She watched as the bits of parchment singed, shriveled and blackened. With every letter that she burned, something inside her lifted. Kayla would be safe. For now.

She would be mad, but she would be safe. And that was all that mattered.

Catherine started as someone shoved past her. She had been so busy thinking, she'd forgotten to look below for her friend. It was an unspoken truth that she and Kayla were to meet at Flourish and Blotts. Neither of them ever had to confirm where they were meeting up in Diagon Alley. It would always be Flourish and Blotts.

"Delaney, isn't it?" Hissed a voice from behind her.

Catherine turned to find Draco Malfoy sitting in a corner, a book in his lap. He didn't look pleased. But then again, Malfoy never looked pleased unless he was tormenting Harry Potter or he had just won a few points for their house. His mouth looked as if he'd just eaten something sour.

"Yeah," Catherine said, her fists instinctively curling into fists. She didn't really have a problem with Malfoy or his family. Their families were acquaintances after all. But since the conversation she'd overheard outside her father's study, Malfoy could now be a possible threat. And that would not bode well with her.

"Where's that friend of yours? The one with the dark hair?" Malfoy asked, his voice laced with something bitter and almost contrived.

"Why do you care?" Her words came out too harshly, she dug her fingernails into her palms to stifle her anger.

Why was she so angry? Malfoy hadn't done anything to her or Kayla. But she knew his family. She knew the rumors about his family's allegiance. Normally, Catherine was ambivalent when it came to the Malfoy's. Now, she couldn't help but feel anger swell in her chest.

"Sorry I'm late," Came a voice from behind her. Catherine turned to find her best friend out of breath and looking disheveled. Kayla brushed her hands through her long, dark curly hair. She smiled, her big dark eyes standing out against her olive skin.

Malfoy snorted.

Catherine rushed to her friend and hugged her. Kayla felt small in her arms and it was then she knew her friend hadn't been eating again. That meant the dreams had gotten worse. Oftentimes, Kayla didn't eat for days, especially after an intense nightmare.

"I'm sorry," Catherine whispered as she hugged her friend even tighter.

"I have so much I need to tell you."

Spotting Malfoy nearby, Kayla muttered, "Not now."

Malfoy stood and tucked the book he'd been reading beneath his arm. He was dressed all in black, making his white-blond hair and green eyes stand out.

He walked over to them, his usual over confident stagger was absent. If anything, he seemed tired and perhaps distraught. He looked at Catherine. She could tell he was trying to figure out why she was so angry at him. They were both Slytherins after all. They were on the same team.

"Kayla, isn't it?" he asked, turning to her. She smiled apprehensively and nodded.

Catherine eyed him suspiciously.

He was playing at something. He had to be.

Suddenly, he shoved the book he'd been carrying into Catherine's hands.

He stepped closer to Kayla.

"See you at school," He said softly, his green eyes resting on her for a beat longer.

As he walked past them, the back of his hand brushed Kayla's.

When he'd gone down the stairs, Kayla let out a sigh of relief as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time. Her face grew suddenly pale and she sank to her knees. Catherine dropped the book and grasped for her, keeping Kayla from falling over. Kayla's dark eyes glazed over. She closed them for a moment before breathing carefully.

"Hello to you too," Catherine teased. "You okay?"

Kayla looked downstairs at the floor below. Malfoy's mother was scolding him, but she couldn't hear what she was saying. She gripped her son by the cuff of his sleeve and led him out of Flourish and Blotts.

"He's…He's in pain." Kayla said, the words came out painfully.

Catherine helped her friend to her feet. "

Course he's in pain," she laughed, "With that stick up he always has up his arse."

"No…" Kayla held a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

"I mean he's really in pain."

Catherine wanted to tell Kayla all that she had learned over the summer. She wanted to tell her what she'd heard the stranger in her father's office say and explain why she hadn't written all summer. But first, she needed to get her friend out and away from this cramped space.

"Let's go to Florean Fortescue's, I think you need something sweet."

Kayla nodded and made her way down the steps.

Catherine picked up the book Malfoy had shoved into her hands. She turned it over to read the title before goosebumps prickled her skin.

It was a copy of _Unfogging the Future_.

Catherine had taken Divination with Professor Trelawney. The book was a required text for students taking the class. The thick, black-bound book had a picture on the front depicting the full moon shrouded in fog. This was the fifth and last volume.

 ** _Was it a warning? Did Malfoy know about Kayla?_**

Catherine tucked the book under her arm as she made her way down the stairs. She pulled out 2 Galleons from her coin purse.

"Aren't we going to purchase our books after we get ice-cream?" Kayla asked, halfway out of the door.

"Yeah," Catherine replied, "I just want to get this one now. They're almost out of stock."


	4. Secrets and School Supplies

**A/N: This is kind of a short chapter. More to come.**

* * *

After the two had finished weaving in and out of Diagon Alley all day, purchasing all of their 6th year school supplies, they settled down at The Leaky Cauldron for some dinner.

They had intended on going straight to Florean Fortescue's after their meet up at Flourish and Blotts, but when they approached the Parlour, the found it to be closed. It was a small shop, with room to sit inside. There were always places to sit outside as well. They had been looking forward to all of the colourful displays of ice-cream inside. The Parlour appeared as if it had been ransacked. The glass in the windows had been shattered and the door was hanging loosely by one of it's hinges.

"Heard a rumour that Mr. Fortescue was 'dragged off'," Catherine said quietly. It was as even the mention of such things could be heard from anywhere.

"I noticed Ollivander's looked abandoned too." Kayla added.

Catherine stared off in the direction of Ollivander's, recalling the time she'd first gotten her wand. Maple. 10 inches. Unicorn hair. -She would always remember that.

"Death Eaters," Kayla said hoarsely, breaking Catherine out of her nostalgia.

Now, they sat at one of the heavy wooden tables in The Leaky Cauldron. Catherine took a bite of her steak and kidney pie while Kayla slowly sipped her soup while reviewing her supply list.

She went over each of the supplies one by one with her quill, before checking her rucksack to make sure each of them were definitely in there.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "You've already checked 'bout fifty times. Think you can try to get something in your stomach first before you check it for the fifty-first?"

Kayla sighed heavily and tucked her sack away.

"Thank you."

Kayla eyed the list again before Catherine groaned and pushed her plate away.

"Alright, we'll go over it one more time. But after, you put that list away and eat."

Kayla smiled and pulled the list closer.

"Okay, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six by Miranda Goshawk."

Catherine leaned her head against her hand. "Check."

"Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage?"

Catherine shook her head.

"Why not?" Kayla asked, as if she were insulted.

"Not everyone loves Potions as much as you do. And anyway, I'm not taking it. I didn't do well last year with end of year exams and Snape isn't going to let me continue on, so that's that."

"How can you not like Potions?" Kayla exclaimed, suddenly digging through her bag.

"This year we are going to make Shrinking Solutions, Amortentia, Draught of Living Death…"

"-Exciting." Catherine said glumly.

"And even how to make Love Potions," she said, her voice coming out in a sing-song-like manner.

"What the hell would I need a bloody Love Potion for?"

Kayla shrugged, tucked her Potions book back in her rucksack, scooted her bowl of soup closer to her, and began eating again. Catherine eyed Kayla suspiciously.

"Anyway," Catherine took another bite of her steak and kidney pie, "What was up with you and Draco Malfoy at Flourish and Blotts?"

Kayla's face slowly began to turn scarlet and Catherine smiled.

Kayla never thought about Draco Malfoy. She'd mostly regarded him as a bit of a bastard and never liked how he tried to pick a fight with Harry Potter. Kayla wasn't close to Potter. They'd only spoken a handful of times. She and her family believed him when he said that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned. Her family had taken his warning seriously.

Her grandparents had enlisted a curfew, not that Kayla had anywhere really to go to. Most of the summer she'd spent in her grandfather's library. It were as if a dark cloud had descended down upon the Roth household, and even more so amongst the wizarding community.

Draco was surely not to be trusted. Certainly if the rumours were true about his family. But Kayla could not deny what she'd felt as he'd walked past her. The soft flesh of the backside of his hand had grazed her own. As they touched, time slowed and Kayla descended down into the depths of cold darkness. She had heard whispers. She felt pain on forearm. A burning sensation. She had heard crying as she stumbled through the darkness. There was a mirror before her, and when she looked at it, she saw not her own reflection, but Draco's. His eyes were red and brimming with tears. Then, as if the ground had vanished beneath her feet, she felt herself falling fast into despair. She felt loneliness.

It was only moments later that Catherine and righted her up.

Kayla touched her burning cheeks with the backside of her cold fingers. She recalled Draco's green eyes. There was pain. A sharp and unyielding pain. But there was something else…

"Helllllloooo?" Catherine waved her hand in front of Kayla's face. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or are you going to keep swooning?"

Kayla straightened and brushed her curly hair back from her face.

"I wasn't swooning."

Catherine took another bite of her food. "Right," she scoffed.

Kayla pushed her bowl of soup away, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Listen to me. I feel like we're hiding stuff from each other. And we don't do that. I mean, I know you hide a lot from me. I don't force you to confess anything or to get all weepy on me. I know you're not like that. But I know we've been hiding things from each other more than usual. And I know that everything in the world has become much darker. Especially with You-Know-Who being back and all. But promise me, _promise me_ that we tell each other what we've been hiding."

Catherine knew exactly what Kayla meant. Their friendship had been forged out of so much. Why were they suddenly hiding secrets from one another?

Catherine remembered back when they were first year students, some arse of a Gryffindor had splattered mustard all over Kayla's robes as a joke. She'd made short work of hexing the jerk. She had laughed when Kayla confessed that the smell of mustard made her nauseated and Catherine offered to clean the robes herself. They'd been friends ever since.

"I promise," Catherine said. "When we get on the Hogwarts Express, we'll tell each other everything. That way everything will be out in the open before we get to school."

"Deal." Kayla grabbed her rucksack. "Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted."

They both stood and headed for their rooms. But not before Catherine took a peek at Kayla's soup bowl, which was empty. Like the Mother Hen she was, she knew that she only had her best friend's interests at heart. And she was worried about her. She always would be.


	5. Awkward Intros and Late Night Reads

**A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews! They really made my night!**

* * *

As the Hogwarts Express chugged northward, the students aboard bustled from compartment to compartment, visiting one another and filling each other in on what had happened over their summer. Some had been shut away like Kayla. Others conveyed rumours they'd overheard while abroad. The excitement of a new year was palpable and everyone was celebrating with chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, and lots of Acid Pops.

Kayla and Catherine had found a nice quiet compartment at the back of the train. They took turns divulging all the details of their summer. Catherine confessed on what she had overheard in her father's study, why she hadn't written, and why she'd kept Driscoll. Kayla revealed the true nature of her dreams, the loneliness she'd felt all summer, and finally, what she had seen when Draco had touched her hand.

As she recalled the details of the dream, she felt suddenly dizzy and blood rushed to her face.

"Merlin's beard your face just…" Catherine made a whooshing sound and made explosion gestures with her hands.

Catherine threw an empty chocolate frog box at Kayla as her friend seemed to fall into a daydream.

"Hey, I'm glad you told me."

Kayla smiled weakly. "You know," she said, as she rose and dusted her robes off from all the specks of sugar. "I think I'm going to go get some air."

Kayla slid open the compartment door, still feeling dizzy.

Suddenly, she felt someone knock into her and she fell to the floor.

"I'm so so sorry! Are you okay?"

Standing above her, was a tall girl with white blond hair and bright, clear blue eyes. Her features stood out from her black robes.

"It's my fault," Kayla rectified. The girl extended a hand and pulled Kayla to her feet.

The girl was several inches taller than herself and very pale. She couldn't stop looking at her and immediately reddened when she realized she was staring.

"I'm not normally this clumsy. I was just getting some air." Kayla said.

The blond girl smiled, and Kayla found it hard to look away from her eyes.

"I'm Maggie by the way," the girl said, extending a hand. The two girls shook hands and blushed.

"I don't recall seeing you before," Catherine's voice came, muffled behind the closed compartment door. Both girls moved back a few inches from each other, startled by the voice.

Catherine opened the door, a smile on her face.

"I'm Catherine Delaney. This is Kayla Roth, in case she's forgotten to introduce herself."

Maggie smiled and shook her head nervously. "Nice to meet you as well."

"Pleasure," Catherine sassed.

Kayla tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "Um, yeah I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?"

Maggie mimicked Kayla and tucked her hair behind her ears as well.

Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I actually went to Durmstrang. But me mum and dad moved this past summer and I've transferred to Hogwarts."

"I thought Durmstrang was an all-boys school?" Catherine goaded.

Before Maggie could answer, Kayla piped in, " The school has both male and female students.

-Actually the school was founded by a witch in the Middle Ages. Her name was Nerida Vulchanova. She was the first head of the school and then she died mysteriously."

Maggie and Catherine both stared at Kayla.

"Or so I've read."

Maggie laughed and Kayla blushed even more.

"You must be a Ravenclaw. I've read all about your Houses. I actually was born in London and did my primary schooling there. I was 10 when my family moved to Sweden with my grandparents. We've just moved back to London."

"Why did you transfer?" Kayla asked. Maggie opened her mouth to answer but Catherine had another question for her, "You get Sorted yet?"  
Maggie smiled and showed the crest on her robes.

Gryffindor.

Catherine huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. But she watched as Kayla and Maggie exchanged pleasantries and asked each other questions.

As both girls stumbled over one another, talking excitedly about this subject and that, Catherine interrupted, "Why don't you come sit with us? We've got plenty of room."

"Oh, thank you, but I really must be getting back to my compartment. I s'pect we'll be arriving soon and I need to gather my things."

The girls said their goodbyes and made her way back down the corridor. Catherine curled up in her seat and stared out at the castle that was glowing ahead.

 _Home_ , she thought.

Kayla looked back down the corridor before entering the compartment, just as Maggie turned to look as well. They both smiled at each other before turning away.

Kayla sat down and let out a long sigh.

"You've got a thing," Catherine chuckled, still staring out the window.

Kayla furrowed her brow. "What _thing?_ "

Catherine picked up an unopened Sugar Quill beside her and chucked it at Kayla, playfully.

"For blondes."

Kayla opened the Sugar Quill and licked it. It turned her tongue a bright shade of blue.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

* * *

The Slytherin common room would probably make most students in other houses feel mildly if not moderately uneasy. But for Catherine, it was her happy place. Catherine had a list of certain places on the Hogwarts grounds that made her feel most content. Amongst the Slytherin common room, she also loved the library, where she and Kayla spent most of their time, and the Astronomy tower. There were other places too, but those were places she kept private. Some of those places, Kayla didn't even know about.

After they had arrived at Hogwarts, Kayla and Catherine had joined their respected Houses, listened to Dumbledore's usual speech (this speech had been more foreboding than the past) and they had been introduced to their new Potions master, Professor Horace Slughorn. Severus Snape would now be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Everyone had audibly gasped and Kayla and Catherine had locked eyes from across the Great Hall. It was common knowledge that the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts was not only cursed but also that Snape had been after it for years.

Catherine wondered if she could take Potions now that Slughorn was professor. Maybe he took N.E.W.T. students with Exceeds Expectations.

After the feast, they'd all gone to retire to their common rooms. Catherine had settled herself into a comfortable armchair with a blanket and had curled up with a couple of books to sift through before bed.

The common room was uncommonly quiet for it being the first night back at school. Most of the students had already drifted off to bed. Catherine had always felt a kinship with the water, even though it was also akin to her House. The common room was in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, underneath the Black Lake. The light drifting in from the thick windows was green due to the lake's colour.

Nearby, a fire crackled and the sound of it calmed her. Catherine sifted through her 6th year Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook for awhile before pushing it aside and pulling out _Unfogging the Future_. Even though she told Kayla everything about what had happened over the summer and especially lately, she hadn't told her about Draco shoving the copy of the Divinations textbook into her hands. She hadn't decided if Draco had been trying to warn her yet, or maybe it was perhaps just a fluke. Maybe he was just absentmindedly flipping through it.

"Staying up late are we?"

Catherine jumped as if she'd been reading something rather naughty and not a school textbook. She slammed the book shut and looked up to see Draco lounging on a couch, as if he'd Disapparated. She hadn't heard him walk in.

Draco appeared paler than usual in the firelight. His forehead was sweaty.

"You look a bit peaky, Draco. Are you alright?"

Draco righted himself up on the couch from his slouched position. "I'm fine," he huffed.

Catherine slowly slid the book she'd been reading beneath the blanket.

"Anyway, how's your friend? Looked as if she fainted after I left."

There was genuine concern in his voice. Catherine could not detect a hint of mockery or teasing in his voice as per usual. She glanced over his features, scouring for an ounce of dishonesty but could find none.

"She's fine. She had a rough summer. And she didn't faint. Just lightheaded was all."

Malfoy nodded and folded his hands before staring into the flames.

"She should go see Madame Pomfrey if she's not feeling well by morning," he said softly.

 _ **Did he like Kayla?**_

"I'll tell her," she said, watching him as he continued to stare into the fire. A moment of silenced passed between them before Draco wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his robes, said goodnight and headed toward the boy's dormitory.

After he'd left, Catherine opened the book again and thought about what Kayla would be doing right now and what she would think if she knew Draco Malfoy had asked about her and had shown concern for her well being. She probably would have laughed.

Kayla was high up on the fifth floor on the west side of Hogwarts at the top of a spiral staircase. While Catherine's common room was deep down below, Kayla's was high up above.

Whenever Kayla would stumble or make a fool of herself in some awkward way, Catherine would tease that it must be the altitude sickness from being so high up.

Sometimes Catherine wished Kayla had been Sorted into Slytherin so they could hang out together long into the night, like they did over the summers at home. But Kayla was a Ravenclaw through and through.

When she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, Catherine walked to her dormitory where most of her fellow students had already fallen asleep. She climbed into bed and moved to the beside table to blow out her candle when she noticed an envelope. She looked over at her owl, who was safely perched in her cage and fast asleep.

 _ **When had this arrived?**_

She opened the envelope carefully and quietly and grabbed for her wand.

" _Lumos_ ," she whispered.

The tip of her wand illuminated as she unfolded the letter with her other hand.

Only two words were written in the middle of the parchment:

 _Protect her._


	6. The Ambivalent Night Owls

**A/N: Thank you again to everyone for the lovely reviews.**

* * *

The moon shone brightly through the tall, arched windows of the Ravenclaw common room. A soft breeze drifted through the room, causing the long, sheer curtains that hung from the windows to billow. As Kayla padded barefoot into the common room, she felt a childish indulgence take hold, pushing her to dance among the ethereal fabric. She wasn't entirely sure she was truly awake. Oftentimes, she felt as if she drifted between awake and sleep, captured entirely in the In-Between.

She walked around and stared at the tall bookshelves that stood against the walls of the circular room. _Was she awake? Did it matter?_

She pressed her hand against a shelf of books, closed her eyes and slid her fingers across the rough covers as she walked past. Perhaps, if she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the words and maybe even the emotions from the authors who had written them.

Kayla walked to one of the windows and stared out at the Black Lake. She wondered what Catherine was doing at that moment and if she had fallen asleep yet. Tomorrow was the first day of the new term and it always left Kayla feeling restless and dreamy as she stood on the cusp of a new school year. Yet, there was something different about this year, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet.

Kayla pressed a hand against the cool glass and glanced up at the stars. Something was different. The visions had become more intense as of recently. A new emotion had taken over her. It felt as if she had plunged into the Black Lake. The cold, dark waters enveloping her body as she fell downward into its unknown depths. Her mind searched for the word that would explain how she felt.

There was something she'd been denying. It was something that she hadn't told Catherine because she had not even admitted it to herself yet.

Then, suddenly, the word came to her and she snapped her fingers.

 _Ambivalent._

She was ambivalent to what she was. If she truly was a Seer, if she could see the future, feel the past, sense emotions, it could lead her to all sorts of dark paths she had no intention of seeking. But still, the concept pulled at her. Darkness. The darkness was alluring and it pulled at her in ways that made her skin litter with goosebumps.

The truth came to her and stood on the edge of her mind.

 _She was afraid to give in._

Suddenly, she saw the reflection of a young man standing behind her from across the room and she turned quickly, leaving a ghostly hand print against the glass of the window.

"I'm sorry if I alarmed you," he said, barely above a whisper. His voice was low and slightly raspy. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't," she replied, patting the side of her robes where her wand was stored.

He stepped forward into the glow of the firelight. He wore a dark coat with the collar pulled up to his ears as if he were cold. He had soft brown hair, light eyes, and smooth lips.

He smiled slyly, "Can't sleep either?" He slipped his hands into his pockets, never taking his eyes off her.

"No," she said, "I've always been a night owl."

He smiled again, "I as well." A silence passed between them and Kayla felt her mind fidgeting and flitting through subjects of something to say.

"I'm Dane Blackwood, I'm a year ahead of you," he extended his hand. She extended her hand cautiously, remembering how the simple touch of Draco Malfoy had thrown her into a deep and whirling vision. But when she took his hand, no such visions came. His hand was warm, soft and almost comforting.

"Some cold hands you've got there," he said, holding onto her hand for a moment longer before finally breaking their connection.

Kayla folded her arms over her chest.

"Again, I didn't mean to interrupt your thoughts. I can't sleep either. I guess I'm not the only one who wanders the common room when the reflections and spectres come at night."

"Are you a poet?" she scoffed.

Dane crossed the room to stand beside the crackling fire. He chuckled at her remark.

"No, no… -Just someone who understands what it's like to have a restless mind."

He stared at her, his light eyes glowing in the firelight. Kayla felt something deep in her chest grow warm, as if she'd just downed a cup of tea.

"You never told me your name."

Kayla felt herself blush. She always forgot to introduce herself.

"Kayla Roth."

Dane turned his head for a moment, as if he were trying to recall something that was just out of reach. He bit his lower lip before turning back to look at her, his eyes widening.

"I remember you now. You somehow managed to get into a 6th year Study of Ancient Runes with me last year. You sat at the front of the class."

Kayla had begged Professor Flitwick to let her take a more advanced course of Study of Ancient Runes. She'd spent the entire summer before pouring over runic scriptures. She'd fallen in love with the idea of ancient runic scripts of magic. Thankfully, her head of House was accustomed to over-achievers who begged for challenges. He'd obliged and had let her take the course. She smiled when she remembered Catherine's face when she told her she'd filled her free period with another class.

"You don't remember me, though." He said jokingly. Sometimes she would fall too deep into her head and couldn't climb out.

But now, as he stood before her, she wondered how she hadn't seen him before. He was handsome, alluring even. She was thankful she stood in the shadows so he couldn't see her face. But even in the darkness, she could feel his piercing eyes on her, as if he could see right through her.

He smiled and looked away from her.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you. I sometimes get stuck in my own head. I forget what's around me."

A forceful breeze came through the windows and along with it, the scent of rain. A low rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Sometimes I'm ignorant to what's in front of me."

Dane looked up, his eyes on her again. Whatever words still lingered in her mind fell away, as if they had fallen off a steep cliff.

He crossed the room toward her. For a moment, Kayla thought he was going to approach her, maybe even touch her and she felt the warm feeling in her chest again. But Dane walked past her to the open window.

"It's okay, I don't blame you. Ancient Runes is a profound subject." There was a slight note of teasing in his voice, but it was not malicious.

"It's okay to get caught up in your head, I do it too." He grasped the handle of the window and pulled it tight before locking it. He turned to her, "Just don't get lost in there alone."

There was something about the room. Kayla felt an electric sensation reverberate about her. It made her head buzz and she felt even more awake than she had before. She closed her eyes for a moment as the sensation became even more intense.

"It's the storm," Dane said, as he walked back over to the fire. "That intense feeling you get before a storm comes. I feel it too."

"I should be getting to bed." She whispered, even though she knew she would be sitting in bed awake for another hour.

"I as well," he said. "Goodnight." He turned toward the boys' dormitory.

She turned to go off to her own dormitory, but heard him say, "Oh, I forgot…"

Dane smiled at her from across the common room. "Don't get lost in it."

Kayla chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Don't get lost in my mind. Got it."

"No," he whispered sincerely. "Don't get lost in ambivalence."

Before she could respond, he vanished up the corridor to the boys' dormitory.


	7. Early Birds

**A/N: A big thank you to my Slytherin best friend. Cheers to 14 years of us imagining ourselves in worlds other than our own...**

* * *

The first day of classes was going swimmingly for Catherine.

She was excited about Charms class. Flitwick had spent the class explaining what they would be learning that year. They would be learning how to turn vinegar into wine (which would prove to be very useful for several reasons). They would be practicing nonverbal spells, which she was probably most excited about. It was much easier to jinx enemies when you weren't exclaiming some spell aloud for everyone to hear. They would be learning the _Aguamenti_ charm, amongst many others.

Transfiguration seemed as if it would be exciting. They would be learning _Crinus Muto,_ which was a spell to change the color of eyebrows. Catherine had always wanted to change her light-colored eyebrows to match the darker tone of her auburn hair.

Now she had her last class of the day, Herbology.

It wasn't as if Catherine hated Herbology, she just found the subject all-in-all, boring. Professor Sprout had mumbled on and on about how they would be working with Venomous Tentacula and Snargaluff pods this term. They would be learning something about using dragon dung compost for planting…

She had started drawing on a spare bit of parchment after Professor Sprout had said the word "dung" three times in five minutes. No matter how hard she forced herself to be interested in all uses of certain magical leaves and twigs and things, she just couldn't will herself to concentrate.

"It's a bit daunting at first, but it gets better," whispered a voice beside her. Neville Longbottom was smiling at her and scooted closer to her.

"It's not daunting," Catherine said a bit too harshly. She continued to scribble on her parchment, sketching out an absurd caricature of Professor Sprout. "I'm just not interested in the subject."

Neville pursed his lips, and looked down at his book, discouraged.

"Yeah but, it can really be fascinating if you concentrate on what each of the herbs can be used for."

Catherine shrugged and dipped her quill into her inkwell.

"Now," Professor Sprout exclaimed loudly, "Will everyone please pair up and sketch the plant I've placed in front of you. I already see some eye rolls and I know that you've all seen this before in previous years, but this is important. Can anyone take a stab at recalling what sprig I've placed in front of you today?"

Neville raised his hand. "Wormwood, of course." Professor Sprout clapped her gloved hands together, a cloud of dirt and dust filled the air around her.

"Excellent, Longbottom! 5 points for Gryffindor! I'm glad someone pays attention in my classes."

Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Now go on, pair up and sketch the sprig of Wormwood. I want you to also write beside it the identifying markers as well as a minimum of 3 uses for the plant."

The students began pairing up. Catherine already knew Neville wanted to work with her. She much preferred to work alone. But Professor Sprout was all about working in groups, which vexed Catherine to no end.

"You mind?" Neville moved his textbook closer to her own. Catherine breathed a long sigh and finally resigned. "Yeah, sure whatever."

Neville pulled out a long piece of parchment and placed it between them. He adjusted the sprig of Wormwood in front of them so it was at a better angle to sketch. Catherine watched as he dipped the quill into his inkwell. He had large, stubby hands and his fingers were already stained with ink. He began sketching the plant and bit down on his lower lip as he concentrated.

Catherine chuckled, "Do you know how to draw?"

Neville smiled, "Mocking me are we? I never proclaimed to be an artist."

Catherine moved across him, flipped the parchment over, readjusted the sprig and began sketching. Neville watched Catherine intently as she drew.

"It's bitter," Neville said, still watching as she carefully sketched the leaves. "I've heard Muggles use the leaves for things like medicine and to get rid of fleas on their pets. The oil can actually be poisonous in large quantities."

"I'll remember that next time I want to poison someone," Catherine deadpanned.

Neville stared at her for a moment and then laughed nervously.

"But we use it for a variety of purposes," Neville continued. "It can be used as an anthelmintic, stomachic, tonic, hallucinogenic and in culinary." Catherine leaned in closer to the parchment, sketching the details just so.

"It's also believed to do something else, but I don't know if it has been confirmed," Neville lowered his voice. "It's supposed to enhance psychic abilities."

Catherine stopped drawing, leaving the tip of her quill steady on the parchment. A blot of ink bloomed beneath it.

"Oh no," cried Neville, "The drawing is perfect and now there's a smudge. Sorry I shouldn't have been distracting you."

Catherine shook her head and continued to draw, sketching over the blot until it seemed to vanish. Neville smiled, "Brilliant you are."

Catherine leaned closer into the parchment so Neville couldn't see the redness slowly creeping up her face.

"Honestly, I'm more excited we're going to be working with Venomous Tentacula."

When Catherine was finished, she pushed the parchment toward Neville.

"Your turn, smart one. Write the uses."

Neville appeared shocked for a moment at the demand but turned and began scribbling with his quill. She made him nervous and Catherine wasn't quite sure whether it bothered her, or if instead, she liked it.

—-

Catherine breathed a heavy sigh of relief after she'd left Herbology. Neville had been hot on her trail, but she'd managed to escape just in time. She was relieved to be without his ramblings of the 1,262 uses for Wormwood. She was all-in-all, surprised he had even spoken to her. Gryffindors had a very intense rivalry with Slytherin and it wasn't normal for a Gryffindor, no matter how nice or accepting they were, to just start talking to a standoffish Slytherin girl.

-Or so Catherine had thought.

A small spark of energy coursed through her as Catherine thought about what she would do with the rest of her day. Since she wasn't taking Potions, she now had a free period. She thought about heading directly to the library. There, she could finally get some peace and quiet after a long hour of Neville Longbottom muttering in her ear.

"My dear! Are you Miss Delaney?"

Catherine whirled around and was surprised to find Professor Slughorn. He was balding, with strawberry blond hair and gooseberry coloured eyes.

"Off to my Potions class are you? Mind if I walk with you?"

Slughorn waddled beside her as he carried an armful of books.

"S'cuse me professor. But I thought that—"

Slughorn chuckled, already predicting what Catherine was about to say.

"Never mind what Professor Snape said about you not taking 6th year Potions. I accept N.E.W.T. students my dear, with Exceeds Expectations. And I would be honoured to have you in my class and even more so, for you to attend a little dinner party I'm throwing in a few weeks."

It was hard to not like Professor Slughorn. He was a Slytherin himself. Catherine had always admired him. So often, Slytherin had been regarded has the "bad" House. Catherine had always hated the rumoured reputation that permeated the walls of Hogwarts. She had always prized herself to exceed beyond the expectations of her peers and to clear away rumours of selfishness and greed.

"But promise me you won't mention the dinner party. I haven't formally announced it yet."

Catherine nodded and followed to the professor to the dungeons.

When they entered the classroom, Catherine's eyes widened at the changes that had been made since the last year. The classroom had been extended, adding more space for tables.

Kayla was already sitting at one of the large tables. She was sketching something intently, her concentration unbroken even as the heavy wooden door to the classroom slammed behind her.

"Early birds, are we?" Professor Slughorn asked absentmindedly as he set his armful of books down on a table. Kayla did not stir. She was transfixed on whatever she was drawing.

"Miss Roth is it?" He asked.

Kayla looked up, her eyes looked as if she'd just been woken from a long nap.

"Apologies, Professor." Kayla clambered down from her stool and crossed the room to shake hands with Slughorn.

"No need to apologize," Slughorn said as she patted her on her shoulder. "I can tell you are a young woman of introspection. Which is valuable. Very valuable. Tap into that my dear, and I believe you will be very gifted in the art of Potion making. And from your Outstanding last year on your O.W.L., I would have to say that it's the truth."

Kayla grinned ear to ear, blushing.

Catherine knew Kayla was embarrassed. Sometimes her over eager need to study and do well came across has naivety.

"You're my early birds," Slughorn said, as he crossed the room. He grabbed bottles and began placing them on the tables.

"Would you both like to help me set up for your class?"

Catherine and Kayla exchanged looks and both set about helping set up for the coming class.

Just as they had finished, students began entering the room, muttering softly to themselves on the added space in the classroom and how there was much more light now.

Someone whispered about how "happy" the room seemed now that Professor Snape wasn't in it.

Kayla was setting up her cauldron when Catherine cursed under her breath.

"What is it?"

Catherine put a hand on her head, her eyes widening.

"I haven't a Potions book. I didn't buy one because I didn't think I'd be taking Potions this term."

Kayla grabbed Catherine by the arm and led her to the back of the classroom to a cluttered bookshelf where many copies of Advanced Potion-Making lay covered with dust.

Catherine picked up a rather torn and dusty copy and flipped through it, inspecting the pages. Some of the pages were torn and marked in.

"How's that copy?" Kayla asked.

Both of the young women were particular when it came to books. The pages needed to be neat and any scribblings would result in being shoved right back into the shelf for a clean copy.

"This one's been marked in!" Catherine exclaimed. Catherine opened the first page.

Written in slant writing were the words:

 ** _Property of the Half-Blood Prince_**

Kayla laughed, "Who's the Half-Blood Prince? Some nickname." Kayla grabbed at the copy of the book to examine it herself.

"Some git thought he'd just mark up a book like he owned it!" Catherine's frustration was palpable.

Kayla ran her fingers over the marked page and felt a chill run down her spine. She felt an overwhelming sensation of loneliness fall down into the pit of her stomach. She closed the book and shoved it back into the shelf before handing Catherine a much newer copy.

"Take this one instead."

They headed back toward their tables just as Slughorn took his place at the front of the class. He discussed what they would be learning that term and then asked them to turn to page 10 of their books.

"Can anyone tell me what Draught of Living Death is?"

Kayla's hand shot up in the air so quickly that Catherine nearly fell off of her stool. She shoved Kayla slightly, making her over eager best friend wobble back and forth on the legs of her stool.

Professor Slughorn smiled with delight, "Yes, Miss Roth?"

"It's an extremely powerful sleeping draught. It has been recorded to send the drinker into a deathlike slumber."

Slughorn clapped his hands together in delight.

"Wonderful! Five points to Ravenclaw! -And now might I ask, what are the effects of said potion?"

Catherine smirked and raised her hand just before Kayla could raise hers again.

"Miss Delaney?"

Catherine straightened in her chair and cleared her throat.

"It's similar to suspended animation. Meaning there is a temporary cessation of most vital functions without the permanence of death."

Slughorn applauded again and awarded five points to Slytherin.

Some of the students exchanged nasty glances. Ravenclaw and Slytherin students weren't to be rivaled with when it came to academia. -However annoying it might be to witness.

"And lastly," Slughorn glanced about the room, eager for someone else besides the highly competitive "early birds" to answer his last question. "Does anyone know the history of the Draught of Living Death?"

This time, both Catherine and Kayla's hands shot up in the air at the exact same time. A few students groaned and others snickered.

"I do," came a familiar, low and raspy voice.

A few students moved out of the way as Dane Blackwood stepped between them, his Potion's book tucked beneath his arm.

"Go on then Mr. Blackwood."

Kayla watched from across the room Dane stared intensely at the professor.

"According to the legend, a wizard prince used the Wiggenweld Potion to awaken a princess who had been given the Draught of Living Death by someone known as Leticia Somnolens."

Several students who had not been paying attention perked up and leaned in closer, all staring at the young man.

"It's said," he continued, "that the prince put some of the Wiggenweld Potion on his lips and then kissed the princess. And this caused her to awaken from her death-like slumber."

A silence settled over the room as everyone digested the tale.

"Excellent Mr. Blackwood! Ten points to Ravenclaw for that very descriptive account. Someone's been reading their textbook!"

"Arsehole." Catherine mumbled under her breath as she opened her book and scanned the list of ingredients for the potion.

Kayla stared across the classroom at Dane. He did not smile but stared at the ground. Normally, any student awarded points by a professor would give into at least a smile. It was hard not to.

Kayla couldn't stop herself from staring. She clutched at her wand beneath the table and held it firmly. Catherine had told her that she did this subconsciously when she was intimidated. But Kayla had denied it and offered a half-hearted rationalization for this odd behaviour.

She thought of her conversation with Dane the night before and the way his hand had felt in hers. She remembered the warmth of his skin and his light eyes, glowing in the firelight.

It was then that Dane's eyes looked up from the floor to meet her own.

He smiled softly.

"And now," Professor Slughorn exclaimed, as he held two hands in the air. "I would like to lead you all to this potion over here. I must preface with saying it might be the most dangerous potion in this entire room…"

Every one of the students followed him to another table, eager to find out what this "dangerous potion" might be.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall burst into the room.

"Excuse me, excuse me Professor! But I must interrupt."

Kayla clutched her wand even tighter. Noticing this subconscious action, Catherine placed her hand atop her friend's arm, calming her.

"I must have a word with you with and the other professors. Immediately."

There was a rush as the students began grasping for their bags.

"Class dismissed." Slughorn said, before he walked out of the door with Professor McGonagall.

Kayla and Catherine both packed up their bags and headed out of the room together with the rest of the class. Kayla glanced back to see if she could catch a glimpse of Dane.

"That guy was a show-off," Catherine scoffed, as she clutched her Potion's book to her chest. Kayla snickered as they walked down the hall toward the library.

"We're show-offs, Catherine. Or did you not just try to compete with me for House points?"

Catherine smiled and nudged her friend.

As the headed down the hallway, Catherine caught sight of Neville, who was sitting in a corner, reading his Herbology book. He beamed at Catherine who did not return his expression but rather walked faster and dipped her chin to her chest. Kayla, who hadn't missed a single thing, nudged her friend.

"What was that? Was that Neville Longbottom flirting with you?"

"Shove off."

Kayla jogged to keep up with Catherine who was now walking at a brisk pace. "Hey, I'm all for it. So what if he's a Gryffindor. You know the ones that are all geeky and quiet always turn out to be the best at kissing."

Catherine stopped so abruptly that Kayla nearly tripped over her. "And how would you know that?"

Kayla's face reddened. "I've just heard things..." Catherine eyed Kayla suspiciously before they continued their trek to the library.


	8. Enchantments and Grievances in Hogsmeade

**A/N: I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

The first week of classes had been a whirlwind of new spells, lectures on expectations and new freedoms, as well as a conglomeration of stress and excitement. Both Kayla and Catherine were relieved when the first week of classes had finally come to a close.

On Saturday, they met by the Great Hall before walking out into the courtyard together. Today, they would be heading to Hogsmeade. It was a tradition between the girls that they first visit Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop before heading on to all of the other places around the village.

When they entered the tea shop from High Street, the little bell above the door rang with a tuneful tinkle. Catherine grimaced at the noise. The tea shop was rather gaudy, but Kayla loved it. The windows were oftentimes steamed up and the shop was full of teenagers holding hands and kissing over piping hot tea and coffee. Kayla adored the sweet round tables covered in lacy tablecloths. She adored the way the small china sugar bowls felt in her hand. Catherine had to admit that while the place was all-in-all overly done and monstrously gaudy, she loved it too.

That day, the shop was not particularly crowded, as most of the students had raced to the other shops first. The girls found a small table in a corner by a shelf that held delicate pots and tea cups.

Madam Puddifoot winked at the girls as they came in and gave a swish of her wand. Immediately, their small china cups filled to the brim with tea, just the way they liked it. Kayla had lavender Earl Grey with sugar and Catherine had cherry tea.

Both girls turned to smile at Madam Puddifoot. She always knew exactly what tea they liked. Even if they were in the mood for something different that day, she always made the proper adjustment without a single word.

Kayla and Catherine also knew that the owner of the shop thought they were a couple. She adored both girls and had often sent pastries to their table free of charge.

"She still thinks we're a couple," Kayla whispered, as she blew on her steaming cup. Catherine moved back as a levitating tray of tea sandwiches and biscuits sat itself on the lacy covered table. Catherine grabbed one of the biscuits and dipped it into her tea before taking a large bite.

"I don't care if she thinks we snog in the library in the restricted section late at night. It always gets us free tea and pastries, so why complain?"

Kayla smiled sheepishly at Madam Puddifoot and grabbed a tomato twiddle sandwich from the tray.

"Why don't you take my hand?" Catherine asked, her mouth full of biscuit.

Kayla arched an eyebrow.

"Perhaps we can get a free refill of tea as well if we play our cards right." Catherine teased.

Kayla rolled her eyes.

The room began to darken and the distant sound of thunder rumbled, causing a mountain of tea cups beside them to rattle. Several couples huddled closer together, clutching hands and kissing each other. Kayla rolled her eyes again. She knew they were all just pretending to be scared in order to get closer to one another. It was nauseating.

Madam Puddifoot flicked her wand and the cups were silenced. Another swish of her wand and all of the candles on the tables flickered, their flames growing larger. The room brightened just as a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder rattled the shop.

"Guess we got here just in time," Kayla said. She took a bite of her tomato twiddle and smiled. The sandwich was creamy and flavorful. It was just the right amount of tomato, cheese, and onion. Kayla swore up and down that the sandwiches were somehow enchanted with some sort of magic, but Madam Puddifoot had explained that her Muggle grandmother had taught her how to make them by hand when she was a little girl, and it was the same way she made them to that very day.

Rain began to fall outside and Kayla closed her eyes, relishing in the calm ambiance.

"So I saw that girl from the train heading towards the Quidditch pitch when I was waiting for you by the Great Hall," Catherine said, as she grabbed sandwich.

Kayla did not look up. Instead, she concentrated on stirring her tea and the steam that rose up from her cup.

Catherine eyed her friend and cocked her head to the side. "I heard she's trying out for Beater on the Gryffindor team."

Kayla turned her head and stared out at the rain. She watched as the rain beat against the windows and how the wind swirled the rain around like a small cyclone.

Catherine sighed, "Are we not going to talk about you crushing on that girl?"

Kayla turned and faced her friend. She bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow.

"I'm not in denial or anything." She said flatly. "It has nothing to do with that."

Catherine sighed again, "I didn't say you were and I don't think you are. You just never talk about it. Even if it's about boys you never talk about it."

Kayla looked down at the table, embarrassed.

"You really seemed to like that girl… -Maggie I think her name was. I've seen your face turn pretty red over the years. You're the Queen of Blushing!" She teased. "But I don't think I've ever seen your face go quite as red as it did when she nearly knocked you off the Hogwarts Express."

Kayla laughed and covered her mouth to prevent her from spitting out her tea.

"I just wish you'd open up about who you like. Whether it's a girl or a guy. It doesn't matter. I know you've liked both. We're both almost seventeen now! It's high time that at least one of us gets some good snogging."

Kayla giggled and set her cup on the saucer with a loud clang. Catherine grinned just as her empty cup refilled with cherry tea. She turned to see Madam Puddifoot wink at her again.

Catherine raised her cup to Kayla, "Cheers, my love!"

Kayla laughed so hard that she choked on her tea and had to spend the next five minutes settling herself down.

When their laughter had settled and an awkward silence drifted over the table, Catherine asked, "So? What did you think of her? The girl on the train?"

Kayla took another bite of her sandwich, her cheeks began to grow rosy.

"She's got a Beater's build."

They laughed again, this time both of them nearly falling out of their seats.

"But I haven't seen her since that time on the train."

Kayla watched as the wheels in Catherine's mind began to turn. Catherine sipped her tea and bit down on the rim of the cup. She was formulating a plan, Kayla knew. Catherine was always forming some sort of "escape plan". Escape could mean anything really. It could be an escape from the tyranny and darkness of the world. It could mean an hourly escape from the daily stresses of schoolwork. It could also mean an escape from bullies.

"Before you start planning some sort of extravagant motive for matching me up with Maggie, -which by the way, I find particularly surprising since she's a Gryffindor…"

Catherine opened her mouth to speak but Kayla held up a finger.

"-I don't want you to plan anything."

Catherine's head drooped, "Firstly," she began, as she set her tea on the saucer.

"I don't have a thing against _all_ Gryffindors."

Kayla arched her eyebrow and smirked.

"Just _most_ of them." Catherine admitted. Catherine handed another sandwich to Kayla, which was her way of making sure her friend was actually getting something in her stomach.

"Second, why not? Is there someone else you're interested in?"

Kayla looked down at the table, thinking back to what she had felt the previous week in Slughorn's class. She thought about the night before classes in the Ravenclaw common room. She remembered the warmth she'd felt and the way her stomach had somersaulted. She'd felt the same for the girl on the train. But something about Dane Blackwood had made her feel strange. It were as if there were some sort of connection between them.

"Just wait."

Catherine's eyes widened and Kayla could tell that her friend was slightly hurt by her words. But a moment later, an expression of understanding passed over Catherine's face and she nodded.

"It's okay to like two people at once, you know?"

Kayla nodded, but Catherine's words didn't seem to resonate. Catherine put her hand on top of Kayla's.

"You know it's okay? It's not wrong to be attracted to two people at once?"

Kayla pursed her lips and nodded.

Catherine took another sip of her tea, finishing her cup.

"By the way," Kayla started, "What's up with you and Neville Longbottom?"

Catherine turned abruptly in the direction of Madam Puddifoot and raised her finger.

"One more cup please!" She asked, much louder than she had intended.

* * *

Hogsmeade had an eclectic assortment of shops. There was Scrivenshaft's Quill shop, which the girls often frequented. They loved to squabble over what made the perfect quill, what colour ink was the best, and how a certain type of parchment might make even the best quill work terribly. There was Gladrags Wizardwear, Ceridwen's Cauldrons, Sprintwitches Sporting Needs (which Kayla and Catherine walked quickly by as neither girls were interested in any wizarding sports). There was also the Hogsmeade Post Office, and a whole smattering of other shops.

The rain had let up the time the girls had left the tea shop but now, as they walked down the cobble-stoned streets, it had begun to fall more heavily again.

"You know," Catherine said, as she eyed Neville Longbottom as he entered Dogweed and Deathcap. "I think I might slip into here for a bit and have a look around."

Not fooled in the slightest, Kayla grinned, "I thought you hated Herbology. Now why would a nice Slytherin Herbology-hating girl like you, want to go into Dogweed and Deathcap?"

Catherine shrugged, "I've never been in before. Heard they sell exotic plants."

"You know Deathcaps are a poisonous fungus, right?" Kayla shouted above sound of the heavy rain.

Catherine turned, rolling her eyes as she began walking to the Herbology shop.

"I'm going to Tomes and Scrolls for a bit then."

Catherine turned, "Meet you at Zonko's in half an hour?"

Kayla gave her friend a thumbs up and the girls headed in the opposite direction of each other.

Tomes and Scrolls was quite old and regarded itself as a "Specialist Bookshop". Kayla entered but did not find anyone behind the counter. A tabby cat slept lazily on the counter. As Kayla closed the door behind her, the cat eyed her, yawned and drifted back to sleep.

The bookshop was filled with old wooden shelves, arranged like a small labyrinth. Kayla was excited to get lost for a little while amongst the all of the leather and paperback books. She could smell the parchment and a slight hint of tobacco in the air.

Kayla walked down one of the small hallways of books and rounded a corner, determined to get as far into the bookstore as possible until she couldn't hear any noise from the loud students outside. She scanned the shelves of books, discovering that while most of the authors were of course, witches and wizards, there were books by Muggle authors as well. There were copies of _The Toadstool Tales_ by Beatrix Bloxam, the comic book _The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle,_ but there were also copies of books by Jane Austen and Jack London.

Kayla continued to walk past the shelves of books as she ran her fingers over the covers. She stopped when she came to a textbook entitled, _Confronting the Faceless._

She shivered as she thought of the disembodied voices she heard in her dreams. She had heard that it was a N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, required by Professor Snape. But this copy seemed older, unlike the new one he had requested for his students.

Kayla opened the book and flipped through the yellowed pages. It had details about the infamous _Cruciatus_ and _Imperius_ curse. It had instructions for spells for repelling Dementors, which Kayla had learned when she'd joined the D.A. the year before. Harry Potter had taught them how to perform a Patronus charm.

There was a description for Inferi…

She flipped through he pages faster. No one seemed to be in the store, but she felt an intense sensation that she shouldn't be reading this book. At least this copy.

She swiftly turned the pages until she came to a chapter that stopped her and made a sharp chill run through her:

 ** _Seers_**

She ran her fingers over the words of the chapter name and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"S'cuse me," came a voice so suddenly that Kayla nearly dropped the book she was holding. Standing just a few feet away was Dane Blackwood.

Kayla closed the book and tucked it beneath her arm.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." He said as he placed a book onto a shelf nearby.

Kayla stepped forward and straightened her shoulders. "You didn't frighten me."

In the light, she could tell that his hair was lighter than she'd thought when they'd first met. But his eyes were just as captivating as the first night they had spoken.

"In here escaping the storm as well?" He asked, nodding toward the front of the store. The sound of heavy rain could be heard on the roof above.

"Actually, I'm just looking around. I like bookshops."

"Me too," he pulled another book from the shelf and flipped through it.

"Most students are glad to not have their noses buried in books on the weekend. That's why they're all at Zonko's Joke Shop buying things or trying out for Quidditch."

"Not me." Kayla said, confidently.

Dane stared down at her, his intense eyes filling her up with that warm sensation all over again.

"No, not you." He said softly.

Kayla looked at his lips as he moved closer to her. "May I?" He asked, as he reached out and grasped for the book beneath her arm. As he grabbed for it, his fingers brushed the inside of her arm. She heard herself breathing heavily.

Dane examined the book and turned it over in his hands, "Isn't this the textbook Professor Snape assigned for Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Kayla stepped closer to him and took the book from him, opening it.

"I thought so too. It looks the same but it's a much older edition. I don't remember seeing this many chapters in the one Professor Snape assigned. There's much darker material in this copy. I suspect this edition was banned after…"

Kayla felt uncertain on how much she should say. Perhaps this was information she should keep to herself and tell Catherine later.

"-Banned after You-Know-Who rose to power?" Dane finished. Kayla nodded.

Kayla felt a chill run through her and she rubbed her arms. She was always cold. Even now as she wore her dark blue jumper, she felt goosebumps pop up all over her skin.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Dane closed the book and moved closer. She could feel the warmth of his body and she turned toward him.

"I should tell you…" He said, lowering his voice. "I feel it too."

He placed a hand on her upper arm. Kayla felt another wave of warmth. It started where his hand was on her arm and spread to her chest and through the rest of her body. Her heart thudded in her chest and she felt suddenly drowsy and calm.

"I need to tell you that—"

"Kayla?! Are you in here?" It was Catherine.

Kayla backed away from Dane. She turned and headed toward the front of the store. But before she rounded a corner she turned back. Dane's face was filled with concern, surprise, and something else. Kayla opened her mouth to say something but her mind felt blank, emptied entirely of it's contents. She flushed and nodded at him before vanishing around the corner.

"Where were you?" Catherine asked, concern heavy in her voice.

Confused, Kayla said, "I was here. I told you I'd meet you in half an hour!"

Catherine shook her head, "That was two hours ago!"

Kayla blinked, her mouth agape. It couldn't have been two hours. She had been in the store for not even 15 minutes!

"Come on, let's go. I want to go to The Three Broomsticks before we have to head back."

Catherine ushered Kayla out the door.

Kayla looked back before the door shut behind them, but she did not see Dane.

As the two paced to the Three Broomsticks, Catherine huffed under her breath, seemingly exasperated.

There was a chill in the air but Kayla did not feel cold. She still felt the warmth from Dane's touch. Kayla looked at Catherine, who was flushed herself and appeared very annoyed. Though, Kayla was almost certain that the source of her annoyance did not come entirely from her.

* * *

The Three Broomsticks was a very popular inn and pub. When Kayla and Catherine entered, they found the entire place full of students. It was warm inside and Kayla felt beads of sweat on her forehead. Kayla waved a hand in front of her face, as the place was a bit smoky from the large fire at the hearth. She felt lightheaded but tried to push the feeling away.

They found a table at the back of the pub and sat. They each ordered Butterbeer and sat in silence.

"What's got your wand tied in a knot?" Kayla asked, frustration in her tone.

Catherine folded her hands over her chest. "Nothing!"

Kayla took off her jumper and draped her it over her legs.

Catherine gulped down her butter beer as Kayla sipped slowly. She looked Catherine up and down and licked the foam from her drink from her lips.

"Why are you all flushed?" Catherine asked, setting down her mug.

Kayla shrugged, "It's hot in here."

"Yeah, right…" Catherine scoffed, before she finished her Butterbeer.

"What happened at Dogweed and Deathcap?"

Catherine looked around the pub, just in time to see Neville Longbottom enter the shop.

"Sea lavender." Catherine said angrily, still watching as Neville looked around the pub before deciding to sit with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.

"What?"

Catherine stood and shoved her mug across the table. "Let's go!"

Startled, Kayla took another sip of her Butterbeer and stood, putting her sweater back on.

She struggled to keep up with Catherine as the exited the pub.

"What's wrong?" Kayla pleaded, trying to get Catherine to tell her what was going on.

Catherine's hands were curled into fists as she walked briskly.

"Sea lavender!" She said loudly, as if this would explain exactly what had happened.

Kayla was still confused.

What the bloody hell did that have to do with her being so bloody pissed?

"Sorry, but I don't get—"

"—He knows I like it. He knows it's my favorite."


	9. Sea Lavender

Dane Blackwood was careful to not wake the sleeping tabby as he placed two Galleons on the counter at Tomes and Scrolls. As he placed the last coin carefully on the wooden surface, the cat woke, stretched and yawned, and faced him. It blinked and let out a small chirp. Dane pulled a Sickle out of his pocket, smiled, and placed it on the counter. The cat purred in return.

As he exited the shop, he heard a loud voice exclaim, "Will you please tell me what all of this is about?"

Kayla Roth was struggling to keep up with her friend Catherine Delaney, who was bounding up the cobble-stoned street, her fists curled and her face a blistering scarlet.

Dane watched as Kayla jogged, out of breath, her dark hair blowing in the chilly September breeze.

He remained unnoticed as they ran by him.

"How the hell did he bloody know?!" Catherine shouted. Kayla was panting as she tried to catch up to her friend.

"And what the hell were you doing in Tomes and Scrolls for two bloody hours?"

They walked up the street, on their way back to Hogwarts, Dane presumed. He watched them until they turned and disappeared around a corner. When they had gone, he headed toward The Three Broomsticks, the old edition of _Confronting the Faceless_ tucked beneath his arm.

* * *

Neville Longbottom trudged down the corridor toward Gryffindor Tower. His feet were sore from the long walk back from Hogsmeade. He thought of his four poster bed and how relieved he would feel when he finally collapsed into it.

As he walked on, students fluttered toward the Great Hall for dinner. He'd eaten far too much at The Three Broomsticks and the thought of eating more made him nauseated. He shouldn't have had that second Butterbeer.

Beneath his arm, he carried a box full of sweets from Honeydukes. His grandmother was strict on many things and that also included sweets. Although she restricted his allowance when he was at school, he'd always managed to sneak some money little by little in a sock that he had stored away in his trunk. He smiled as he thought of the loot he had purchased. He'd gotten a jar of Pepper Imps, some Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizzbees, and of course some of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. He had formulated a plan in order to make this stash last throughout the remainder of term. He suspected he wouldn't be able to purchase another haul like this until after Christmas.

Neville turned a corner and began digging in his pockets. He'd written that week's password to enter the Gryffindor common room on a small scroll. But now, of course, he couldn't find it.

He heard footsteps behind him, as if someone were running and turned just in time to see a curly dark-haired girl, her face twisted in confusion and anger, lunging after him.

She flourished her wand and shouted, " _Flipendo!"_

Neville was knocked back against the stone wall.

She aimed her wand directly at him. The force of being slammed against the wall had knocked his box of sweets from his arm. It had burst open, scattering small and colourful wrapped candies all over the ground. His jar of Pepper Imps rolled down the corridor.

"What did you do?!" Shouted the girl, as she pushed him against the wall, her arm just beneath his neck. He recognized her to be Catherine Delaney's friend, Kayla Roth. He knew her by name but they hadn't really spoken to one another until this very moment.

"Are you mad?!" He shouted as he struggled against her grip. She was a full head shorter than him, but very strong. She stared hard into his eyes, as if hoping they might give up some sort of truth.

"What did you do to her?! I swear right now if you hurt her in any sort of way I'll have your tongue fixed to the roof of your mouth for a week!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Neville shouted, clearly confused.

Kayla released her grip on him, muttered " _Wingardium Leviosa,"_ and suddenly all of his candies were floating midair.

She held her wand steady, her eyes never leaving him.

Kayla was in the same year as him and he had never heard anything negative about her. He had heard through rumours that she had often been bullied by classmates, some of them over-confident Gryffindors. Neville had been bullied quite frequently during his time at Hogwarts. They had that in common.

"Tell me what happened or your stash of sweets gets it," she threatened.

Neville rubbed his shoulder, which was sore from the impact of the wall.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Kayla swished her wand and shouted, " _Oppugno!"_ One of his Sugar Quills went flying toward the wall beside him and smashed into a bunch of small sugary pieces.

"Okay stop, stop!" He held up his hands in defense. "Just tell me what happened and I'll try to explain the best I can. Just please… -I saved up all last year for that."

Something in Kayla's expression softened and she lowered her wand slightly. The candies were all still floating nearby; a threat if he stepped out of line.

"What did you say to Catherine at Dogweed and Deathcap?" Kayla demanded. She was tensed, ready to destroy more of his candies if she didn't receive the right answer.

Neville sighed, "You're her best friend, right?"

Kayla said nothing but raised her wand, her eyes squinting as she eyed him suspiciously.

"Catherine and I are in Herbology together," Neville started, his face reddening. He leaned against the wall. "This is what happened…"

* * *

While most of his friends had made a bee-line for Zonko's Joke Shop or Honeydukes, Neville pulled on the door of Dogweed and Deathcap, his heart flittering with excitement. The store was mostly empty except for a couple of older witches and wizards who were inspecting different specimens of Hemlock and Gurdyroot.

Over the past couple of years, Neville had taken a particular interest in Herbology. He admired the care and patience it took to grow plants and had jotted down in a notebook each of their particular uses. The shop was filled with a variety of plants such as Asphodel and hydrangea. He was especially excited to see that they had Chinese Chomping Cabbage in stock as well as jars full of Gillyweed. He heard the chime of the bell as the door opened to the shop and saw Catherine Delaney enter as she untied her green and silver scarf from around her neck.

His stomach somersaulted and he picked up a jar of Gillyweed and inspected it slowly. He checked for the price, and tilted the jar to better see the colour of it. When he looked back up, Catherine had disappeared from the front of the store.

He placed the jar of Gillyweed back onto the shelf and walked further into the store.

Neville wasn't sure whether Catherine liked him or not. He knew what he was feeling was the budding of a crush and it caused him to feel slightly dizzy whenever he was around her. He had tried to talk to her in Herbology, but she had seemed disinterested, which in turn, only made him want to try to talk to her that much more.

There was a stigma about Slytherins that Neville despised. For years, the people in his own House had rambled on about how Gryffindor was the best House in the school, that it "produced the best wizards and witches" and how Slytherin was filled with nothing but pure-blood scum. Ravenclaws were rumoured to be shy know-it-alls and so on and so forth.

He had heard that Gryffindor student Lavender Brown had bullied a Ravenclaw girl the year before during exams. According to Seamus, Lavender had scoffed at a Ravenclaw girl who had made excellent marks in Potions. She had purportedly jinxed the girl, causing her to trip down the steps and cut her ankle. Lavender had vanished before the girl knew what happened and the girl had to be carried to Madam Pomfrey's for treatment.

 _Who cared if he had a crush on a Slytherin?_

He wouldn't mind pushing some ignorant git off the Astronomy Tower if they muttered a single word.

Neville turned a corner and saw Catherine inspecting a jar of Scurvy grass. He swallowed hard before picking up his courage as we walked over to her.

"Scurvy grass," he said, causing Catherine to jump in surprise.

Neville laughed, "Sorry didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Catherine's voice was flat and she moved down the isle away from him. He followed her.

"It's a biennial herb. Um, it grows along salt marshes and sea shores."

Catherine said nothing in return and Neville felt his heart beat faster out of nervousness.

"You like the sea shore?"

It was small talk, he knew, but it was something. He had begun sweating and quickly wiped his face with his sleeve before she could notice.

Catherine turned, her eyes were wide in surprise, "Yes, actually."

Neville smiled. At least it was something.

"My grandmother and I visited Cornwall once…"

"I've a place in Tinworth," Catherine said. Neville smiled nervously as Catherine went back to inspecting jars and pots.

"Yeah, I've been there too. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Catherine nodded without looking up at him.

It was no surprise that Neville was terrible at flirting. He was terrible at a lot of things. He remembered Hermione Granger giving him a few tips on things to say or how to engage in conversation. There were tips she'd read about how to stay engaged in a conversation with someone that you liked. He tried to remember…

"How about we play a game?" He asked, remembering one of Hermione's tips.

Catherine looked up abruptly, her eyebrows arched in suspicion.

Neville walked toward her and scanned the shelves of plants.

"I try to figure out what your favorite flower or herb is. If I guess correctly…" He swallowed hard, "You let me buy you a Butterbeer." It came out more as a question than a statement. Neville wasn't sure what it was about Catherine that intimidated him. Maybe it was her lack of response.

Catherine picked up a sprig of Asphodel. -Maybe it was the mystery that surrounded her.

"Fine," she said, setting the sprig back into the jar. She crossed her hands over her chest and leaned against the wall.

Neville began pacing throughout the store, inspecting jar after jar.

 _It had to be here somewhere…_

Catherine followed Neville around the store, watching him carefully as he opened lids and peered inside. When he saw a section labeled _Flowering Plants,_ he breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to it.

He scanned the large glass jars filled with water and the plants that filled them. Finally, he plucked a sprig of flowering Sea Lavender from a jar and walked toward her. He was smiling ear to ear.

"This," he said, out of breath. "This one is your favorite."

Catherine's mouth opened before she snapped it shut and turned on heel toward the front of the store. Confused, Neville called after her. Catherine ran out of the shop, slamming the door behind her.

Neville stared at the sprig of purple flowers as if it might have a reasoning for what had just happened.

"Why is it always me?" He whispered to himself.

* * *

The time Neville had finished recounting his story, he was sitting against the wall, his eyes glassy. He was visibly upset and confused.

Kayla was sitting against the opposing wall, carefully digesting the story, the candies still floating between them.

"I'm sorry," she said, after a few moments of silence, "I didn't know. She wouldn't tell me what had happened and I feared the worst."

Neville pushed himself up to his feet. "I don't blame you. You're best friends. There's lots of crummy blokes around here. I don't blame you for thinking something horrible had happened."

Kayla gave a weak smile and flicked her wand. All of the candies floated down and landed carefully inside the box.

"She must hate me." The statement was heavy with defeat.

In all of her years of knowing Catherine, Kayla knew that of all the people Catherine could potentially hate, Neville was not one of them.

"She doesn't hate you. She's just…"

"Complicated?" Neville asked smiling.

Kayla nodded and handed the box of sweets to Neville.

"Again, I'm sorry about knocking you over."

"It's alright."

Kayla watched as Neville walked down the hallway, his head low.

"Don't give up," Kayla shouted down the corridor.

Neville looked back.

"She's complicated but she's worth it." Kayla added.

Kayla turned and headed back down the corridor toward the Great Hall. As she walked away, Neville noticed a scar on the back of her ankle, just above her shoe.

He headed back down the hallway toward Gryffindor Tower. When he rounded a corner, he pulled a long box from his pocket. He opened it to make sure it's contents hadn't been too badly damaged in the scuffle.

The sprig of Sea Lavender had lost just a couple of petals in the commotion, but not enough to be truly noticeable. He smiled to himself as he tucked the box back into his pocket.


	10. Confessions

The next morning, Kayla had woken early, shaken by a nightmare that had again, felt too real to dismiss. She dressed quickly and headed down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. She was one of few early risers. She looked around for Catherine but knew better than to find her best friend up early and eating breakfast in the Great Hall before sunrise. Especially after the events of the previous day.

She dipped a piece of slightly burnt toast into the yolk of her sunny-side up eggs and bit into it, the creaminess of it seemed to erase the chill that had taken over her brain since she had woken from the nightmare. The scar near her collarbone burned fiercely and she tried to recall exactly what had happened during the nightmare. Normally, she was able to recall the events of her dreams and recount vivid details. But now, her mind was empty, as if the very dream itself had fallen out of her ears. She rubbed the scar beneath her collarbone and winced.

Across the Great Hall, she spotted Maggie, whom she'd met on the Hogwarts Express.

Her white blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was dressed in Gryffindor Quidditch robes. She smiled at Kayla from across the room and gestured, asking if she could sit with Kayla.

Moments later, Maggie sat herself across from her, a gleeful smile on her face.

"Fancy meeting you again," she said loudly before biting into a piece of sausage.

Kayla didn't know what to say. She could feel her face growing hot.

"Heard you tried out for Quidditch. I assume by the robes you got a position on the team?"

Maggie nodded, her mouth full. "Guess which position?"

Kayla blushed, remembering how Maggie's body had collided with hers on the train. She had the wind knocked out of her but had been too shocked and embarrassed to admit it.

Kayla shrugged.

"Beater!" Maggie exclaimed. "Guess I'm pretty good at colliding with people, eh?" She winked.

Another thought crossed Kayla's mind and it cause her to nearly choke on the egg she was in the middle of chewing. The thought of Maggie's body against hers was too much.

"You okay? You look a bit peaky." Maggie handed Kayla a napkin but she waved it away.

"I'm fine. Just had a sleepless night, that's all. -So you found out that you made the team that quickly?"

Maggie gulped down a goblet full of juice, wiped her mouth on her sleeve and nodded. She turned and showed Kayla the back of her Quidditch robes with the number 04 and the name Skarsgård.

"Yep, got practice today. You're more than welcome to come and watch. Could use a bit of cheering to help me get through. -I mean if you wanted."

Kayla thought of Catherine. She hadn't seen her friend since Catherine had stormed down to the dungeons, muttering incoherently and completely inconsolable. She'd heard Neville's story of what had happened in the Herbology shop, but she needed to hear the story from Catherine. Over the years, she'd seen Catherine develop crushes. Oftentimes, Catherine would spend long hours up on the Astronomy Tower writing or sketching. Kayla knew this was her friend's way of working out her feelings. But it always left Kayla in the dark and wishing that she were practiced in the art of Legilimens.

 _If only my dreams predicted Catherine's actions, I would be more than happy to embrace being a Seer._

"You don't have to though…" Maggie's words shook Kayla from her thoughts. Kayla sipped the last of her tea and stood after wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Sorry, I've had a row with one of my friends and I need to find her. But perhaps another time?"

She could tell that Maggie was disappointed. She imagined her on a broomstick, knocking Bludgers and flying high and mighty in the sky. It was something she would have loved to watch.

"How about next Saturday you meet me next to the Quidditch pitch after practice?"

Kayla felt a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

"Ss…Sure!" She replied.

Maggie smiled, "It's a date then."

* * *

Kayla stood outside the Great Hall for a moment and closed her eyes. By this time, Catherine had to be somewhere hiding the in the castle or it's grounds. Kayla imagined her friend, curled up in a corner somewhere sketching or writing, probably still muttering "Sea Lavender," to herself.

She thought of the Astronomy Tower, but that didn't seem right. There was no way Catherine was going to stay cooped up in the Slytherin common room with students drifting in and out. She would be somewhere that would be mostly uninhabited. She would be somewhere she could think and continue muttering to herself without criticizing looks from her peers.

Kayla opened her eyes and raced out of the Great Hall.

When she made it to the grounds, she saw the Hogwarts greenhouses in the distance. The greenhouses had long, serpentine dragons running along their peaked roofs. Normally, the greenhouses were locked during the weekend. But Kayla quickly found one of them to be unlocked and she slipped inside.

"Catherine?" She called, looking over the rows of tables, topped with various plants. There was no reply, but she felt confident that Catherine was hiding somewhere among the dense shrubbery. There was a tray full of small shovels and stacks of terracotta pots. The sun shone brightly through the windows, creating a lovely glow throughout the greenhouse.

Kayla glanced out of the windows just in time to see Maggie walking toward the Quidditch pitch. Her heart leaped into her throat as she watched Maggie, tall and strong, clutching her broomstick. She walked with confidence, a smile plastered on her face. A few other Gryffindor Quidditch players joined her. They clapped her on the back and nudged her playfully. Maggie looked back though, in the direction of the Great Hall, then the greenhouses and Kayla instinctively ducked as to not be seen.

Was she looking for her? Maybe she was hoping Kayla had changed her mind after all.

She peered up from the table to look out of the window again, but the Gryffindor players had vanished, including Maggie.

Suddenly, Kayla heard a faint scratching sound near the back of the greenhouse. She stood and walked slowly, following the scratching sound.

A heavy sigh of relief fell from her as she saw Catherine, sitting on the floor of the greenhouse, a notebook in her hand, sketching with a quill.

"I didn't sleep," she mumbled, without looking up.

Her fingers were stained with violet colored ink. Bits of crumbled up parchment lay beside her.

Kayla kneeled and placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder. Catherine jumped, as if coming out of her trance for the first time since the previous night.

"I um, spoke with Neville." Kayla said softly.

Catherine stood, dropping her quill and notebook to the ground.

"You did what?!"

Kayla backed away, "Actually, I may have roughed him up a bit…"

There was a pause and for a moment, Kayla wasn't sure if Catherine was about to hit her or hug her. Then, without warning, Catherine burst out laughing.

"You did what?!"

Kayla put her hands on her hips, "I may have jinxed him."

An array of emotions crossed Catherine's face. Surprise. Anger. Frustration. Confusion.

"You _jinxed_ him?"

Kayla nodded and looked away from Catherine for a moment.

 _Why had she done that again?_ It had been as if something else had taken over her that night. A burning rage had filled her and she had felt unable to control her actions.

"I knocked him against the wall. He had a whole box of sweets he'd been saving up for. They were scattered all over the place. It was completely mental now that I stop and think about it. He probably thinks I'm a complete nutter."

Catherine laughed collected her notebook and scraps of parchment.

"I think I hurt him. I didn't mean to."

"-Is he alright?" Catherine asked a bit too quickly.

Kayla tried to keep herself from smiling. "Yeah, he's fine. Just a bit bruised is all."

Catherine had dark circles beneath her eyes. Kayla imagined Catherine tossing and turning in her bed all night, unable to sleep.

"I asked him about what happened in the Herbology shop."

Catherine turned sharply, "What did he say?"

Catherine looked exhausted and ashen as she clutched her notebook, quill, inkwell, and several scraps of crumbled up parchment.

"How about we go to the Great Hall for some food and I'll tell you everything he told me. Then, you need to tell me your side of the story. Because I'll be damned if the stories don't match up."

Catherine smiled weakly and then nodded. "I am pretty hungry…"

Kayla wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Good."

They made their way out of the greenhouses and back toward the Great Hall when Kayla looked back at the direction of the Quidditch pitch.

"Go ahead," Kayla said, "I've forgotten something. I'll meet you to eat in fifteen minutes."

Catherine nodded sleepily, her eyes half open. Kayla watched as Catherine drowsily ambled her way down the corridor before she turned and ran down the hill toward the Quidditch pitch.

* * *

There were lots of other important things she could have been doing. She could have been in the Great Hall at that very moment, making sure Catherine got her eggs and toast into her mouth instead of her lap. Or at the very least, making sure her friend didn't fall asleep in her porridge. She could have been in the library, getting caught up on her homework for the week. She had two rolls of parchment due on Monday on the various uses for non-verbal spells. She also had tons of reading to do for Transfiguration and Potions. Instead, she was hiding in the players' quarters of the Quidditch pitch. She peered out onto the field just in time to see the Gryffindor players putting on their equipment. Harry Potter stood at the front of the team alongside Ginny Weasley. He was telling them all something. Probably about the results of tryouts and who was now on the team.

She spotted Maggie right away and everyone clapped as Harry announced her as the new Beater on the team.

Kayla could have easily made her way up into the stands to watch, but something inside her felt ashamed. She wasn't sure why she felt that way, but the feeling was heavy and it kept her in hiding. But then, Maggie was suddenly running toward her.

"Forgot my bat!" She yelled back at the team. The Gryffindor team laughed and someone shouted, "You're a bloody beater, how do you forget your club, mate?"

There was nowhere to hide now.

When Maggie spotted Kayla standing in the shadows she smiled and let out a playful laugh. "Couldn't stay away, eh?"

Kayla leaned down and picked up a large club that was leaning against the wall."  
"Forgot this?" Kayla breathed, as she handed Maggie the club.

Maggie grasped it, never taking her eyes off Kayla. They stood there for a moment, both holding the club.

Without warning, she leaned down and kissed Kayla firmly on the cheek. Kayla stood stationary for a moment as Maggie walked back onto the pitch.

"Hey, am I not supposed to wish you luck?"

Maggie turned and winked, "You already did," she said.

* * *

Catherine wasn't entirely asleep in her porridge when Kayla arrived and sat beside her. But her eyes were closed as she munched on the end of a piece of toast.

"Where were you?" Catherine asked after Kayla shoved her, startling her awake.

Kayla told Catherine about her quick trip down the Quidditch pitch and the kiss so fast that Catherine had barely enough time to digest the information.

"—So I'll tell you what Neville told me."

"Hold on," Catherine held up a hand. "Maggie _kissed_ you?"

Kayla cleared her throat and grabbed at a goblet of juice. Her mouth had become suddenly dry.

"Yes, but that's not important right now!"

Catherine retreated, sleep blanketed her brain and prevented her from being pushy for details.

Kayla told Catherine the details of the previous night. She recounted Neville's story and made sure to include every little detail.

When she finished, Catherine's face turned from a light pink to a harsh crimson.

"Is there anything that he said that wasn't true? I swear if there is, I'll get him right now…"

"No…" Catherine sighed.

Kayla didn't know what to say. _So, the events were true?_ Then why had Catherine been so angry that Neville had guessed her favorite flower correctly?

Catherine stood up from the table and walked languidly out of the Great Hall.

Kayla followed Catherine down the corridor toward the dungeons.

"So, what he said _was_ true?" Kayla challenged. Prying details from Catherine when she was sleepy was no easy task.

Catherine nodded her head.

"Then why the hell were you so bloody angry last night?!" Kayla shouted, her voice echoing down the corridor. Catherine stopped, sighed and turned toward her friend.

"He knows something about me…" She said, her eyes were brimming with tears.

"And that's okay," Kayla assured her. "It's _okay_."

After several moments, Catherine pulled away and headed back down the corridor toward the Slytherin common room.

"What does that mean for you though?" Kayla prodded.

Catherine heaved a heavy sigh before saying hoarsely, "It means I like him too…"


	11. The Waters at Blackwood

**A/N: A special thank you to my readers who have made it this far. As you may know from the first chapter of this series, this story was inspired by my real-life friend and how we have imagined over the years, our Hogwarts experience would be. I spent lots of time with my friend over this past week, as a reunion of sorts. We talked about this story and where we would imagine it might lead. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.**

* * *

The sun was shining and the sky was clear. The reflection in the garden pool at Blackwood Manor mirrored that of the heavens. It was the height of summer. Sophia Blackwood walked around the perimeter of the garden pool, staring at the reflection of the sky above.

"Not too close now," Dane warned her, as he read a book. Her brother would always be close. She smiled at him lovingly, as he sat perched on the stone steps nearby.

Sophia smiled and danced around the garden pool as she swished her long blue dress.

"Can you do a spell for me?" She asked.

Sophia knew that Dane could not resist such a request from his sister. For although Sophia had grown up in a wizarding family, she had never produced magic. -At least none that he nor his family had witnessed.

Dane looked up from his book. The way the sun caught Sophia's white-blonde hair made her appear angelic.

"You know I can't do magic outside school." He said.

Sophia looked over the edge of the pool.

"You could if you got really angry." She teased.

Sophia walked over to where he was sitting, her hands behind her back, a sweet smile on her face. Suddenly, she snatched the book out of his hands and raced over to the edge of the pool.

"Sophia! Don't. I need that for school."

She dangled the book over the edge, smiling all the while. Dane couldn't help but smile at his little sister. She was sly and incredibly intelligent. Sophia was 5 years younger than Dane. Sometimes, he wondered if she had been allowed to go to Hogwarts, if she would have been placed in Ravenclaw with him. But it was pointless to imagine what could have been. For Sophia would never be allowed to attend Hogwarts.

She smiled mischievously, the book still dangling from her thin, small fingers.

 _Surely, she'd be sorted into Slytherin_ , he thought. Even though his entire family had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

A hot anger began to grow within him as he thought of Sophia. Knowing that she would never experience magic for herself, that she would never attend Hogwarts. Even though she lived within the magical world, she would never be able to produce the slightest of spells. It was all paraded in front of her by not only him, but his entire family. He was jealous for Sophia. She however, never seemed to have minded that she could not produce magic while they did. That made him even angrier for her.

The book slipped from between her fingers but there was no splash into the pond. The book simply fell a short distance before it levitated just above the pond's surface.

Dane shook himself from his thoughts and grabbed the book quickly. Sophia jumped up and down clapping, "Yes! I knew it would work!"

Dane wrapped an arm around his little sister and kissed her on the forehead.

"Five more minutes and then we need go inside. There's a storm on the horizon."

Sophia turned to see dark, ominous clouds that were growing in the distance. She watched as they billowed and churned. They seemed to be growing darker by the second.

"It's a shame," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. There was a slight rumble of thunder in the distance.

"It was such a clear day."

Dane sat back down on the steps and buried himself into reading his book. Sophia began humming as she continued to trace the perimeter of the pool.

The sound of the splash immediately pulled Dane to his feet. He raced over to the pool, a heavy sense of dread made each step feel as if he were walking through mud. When he reached the pool, he found that the surface had frozen solid. His sister pounded on the ice from below, her large green eyes staring up at him. Dane grasped for his wand, but it was not in his pocket. He looked around to see if perhaps he had left it by the steps, but it was not there either. He began pounding on the ice as his sister pounded back. His knuckles began to bleed and specks of blood splattered across the ice.

"Sophia!" He shouted as he slammed his fists against the ice. His eyes welled with tears as he shouted for help. His eyes never left that of his sister's. He watched as her green eyes stared up at him, wide and full of terror. But then, suddenly, her eyes went silent, as if they were no longer focused on him, but beyond him. He watched as she sunk down and out of view, into the depths of the pool.

"Dane!" Came a voice from somewhere behind him. Dane closed his eyes and when he opened them, he found himself on the floor of the boys' Ravenclaw dormitory.

He was kneeling on his hands and knees, his fists curled against the floor below him.

Marcus Belby stood beside him, his eyes wide in fear. "What's happened? You alright?"

Dane pushed back his hair from his forehead. He was soaked with sweat.

"Your hands…" Marcus said, as he helped Dane up from the floor.

Dane turned his hands over to find his knuckles covered in blood. He was shaking.

"You need to see Madam Pomfrey, right away!"

The entirety of the boys' dormitory was awake. Some of them had walked over to Dane to see what had happened. Others remained in their beds, upright, transfixed on him.

He could still hear the splash of water in his head. He thought of Sophia's eyes…

Dane flipped open his trunk for a spare shirt and peeled off the one he had on.

Several students asked if he was alright, but he said nothing. His throat had tightened and was sore as if he had been screaming for hours. It felt raw and he was almost certain that if he tried to speak, nothing would come out. As he raced down the spiral stairs to the common room, he rubbed his eyes, as if that might remove the image of his sister's eyes from his thoughts.

The Ravenclaw common room was too hot. He paced to the windows and winced as he gripped the handles. He flung the windows open and welcomed a chilly breeze.

The gust of chilled air felt pleasant against his hot skin and he sighed. When he had finally cooled his feverish body, he pulled his spare shirt over his head and tugged it over him.

When he turned around, he saw Kayla sitting in an armchair, her eyes wide.

He opened his mouth to say something when she stood. He wanted to assure her that he was okay, but when he tried to speak, nothing but a hoarse whisper came from his lips.

Kayla pulled her wand out of the pocket and at first, Dane swore she was about to jinx him purely out of fear. But there was no fear in her eyes. There was something else.

Determination.

She reached out for one of his hands but Dane pulled away.

"Please…" She whispered, concern heavy in her voice. There was something about her that calmed him. Maybe it was her worried tone, or perhaps it was the way her dark eyes glowed golden in the firelight. He reached his hand out slightly, careful not to touch her.

" _Ferula,"_ she breathed, her wand pointed at one of his knuckles. Dane felt a sharp pain and cried out, his voice hoarse.

He watched as she waved her wand, never once touching his skin. She was in deep concentration as she bit her lower lip and moved closer to him.

" _Vulnera Sanentur… Tergeo…"_

Kayla's curly hair was tied in a loose bun. Soft, dark tendrils, fell over her cheeks and alongside her neck.

He felt his heart thrum in his chest as he watched her. He could no longer feel the pain in his hands. She muttered _"Accio,"_ for something out of a bag near the chair she had been sitting in. Something fluttered to her and she caught it mid-air. She began bandaging each of his hands carefully. When she was finished, she pocketed her wand and stared up at him for a moment. There was something in her eyes, perhaps it was a sense of knowing. He stepped forward, but Kayla turned abruptly and walked back toward her chair.

"How…" the words came out hoarsely, and his throat felt as if he'd swallowed sand.

He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to ask her something but she spoke first.

"My grandfather is a Healer. He's taught me a few spells over the years."

She stood across the room, her fists balled up. She was expecting an explanation. Perhaps she thought he'd gotten into a fist fight with another boy.

"You needn't tell me what happened if you don't want to. I understand."

Dane felt his heart drop into his stomach. He wanted to tell someone about the dream. But Sophia's eyes flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"If I were you, I'd see Madam Pomfrey in the morning. I'm not expert when it comes to Healing. But that should help you get through the night."

Dane wished he could say something, anything to her. But there was nothing he could say.

Kayla gathered her bag, and walked to him. She reached out for his hand and he pulled it away. She eyed him suspiciously, uncertain at why he had pulled away from her touch. But again, a sense of knowing took over her features.

She touched him only where the bandages were wrapped and pulled his hand near her.

"Goodnight," she said, before she vanished up toward the girls' dormitory.

The time Dane returned to his dormitory, most of the other boys had already fallen back asleep. Marcus asked if he was alright and Dane nodded as he climbed back into bed.

The sound of the wind outside howled against the high tower. He tried to concentrate on the sound and not the images that continued to play before his eyes.

He looked at the bandages on his hands and touched them where Kayla had.

As he drifted back to sleep, he imagined himself falling into the garden pool at home. He imagined the cold water engulfing him as he floated down toward the bottom.


	12. Squabbles and Slow Burns

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in postings. I had an emergency last week and have felt out of sorts. Hope you like the next chapter.**

* * *

The first few weeks of the school year fluttered by so quickly, Catherine had hardly even noticed the seasons were changing beyond the walls of the castle. The school days had been filled with endless classes and even more homework than the year before. When Catherine wasn't attending classes, she found herself avoiding Neville. This wasn't a difficult feat due to Kayla pressuring Catherine to meet in the library each evening and concentrate on her studies. While Kayla's quill scratched quickly across parchment, Catherine often felt herself drifting. Her mind would wander through the glass windows of the library and to the mountains in the distance.

"Dammit…" Kayla muttered under her breath as she crossed out a sentence she'd been writing. Instead of continuing on the same piece of parchment, Kayla scribbled violently across the page, crumbled it up and stuffed it into her rucksack. She pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, tucked a strand of dark, curly hair behind her ear and began writing again.

Kayla was studious. There was nothing to debate about that. But the quick flash of anger…

-The dark circles beneath her eyes…

Most people underestimated Kayla. She was smaller than most of her classmates. Her extremely youthful appearance made her seem much younger than she was. Those who did not know her assumed her to be "weak" or perhaps even "naive". She was anything but that.

Kayla flipped the page of her Arithmancy textbook violently.

There was a fire there, a darkness even.

"You know what I hate about Advanced Arithmancy Studies?"

Catherine had been staring unintentionally. She blinked and shook her head as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Umm… everything?"

"Exactly!" Kayla exclaimed. She flipped through pages of parchment. Kayla picked up her book, _Numerology and Grammatica_ from the table and thrust it into the air.

"I hate numbers. I hate complicated number charts. I love composition. I enjoy writing essays. But I hate, I absolutely _loathe_ number charts!"

"Then why did you take it?!"

Catherine hadn't meant to shout. Someone nearby shushed her. Catherine wheeled around in her chair, "Shush yourself you twat!"

Kayla covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. The expression on the face of the student who had tried to "shush" Catherine was side-splitting. You didn't "shush" Catherine. The student was lucky she'd only been verbally cursed.

Kayla leaned forward, making sure to whisper, "I took it because—"

"It's 'reserved for the most intelligent and brilliant students'…" Catherine mocked.

Kayla rolled her eyes. "You're just repeating what Professor Vector said third year."

Catherine shook her head and opened her Potions book.

"I'm taking it because I think it might help me as a Seer…" Kayla whispered.

It was not often that Kayla called herself what she was. Oftentimes, the subject was danced around. There were other names she called herself such as "Sensitive" or "Night-walker". Seers were known to predict prophecies. It was said that these prophecies were recorded and stored in the Hall of Prophecy in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. But much of that was rumour and speculation. Both girls relied on hard facts and data. Prophecies and Divination were hard to grasp onto sometimes. But there was no denying that most of Kayla's visions had come to pass. That her nightmares would portend the future.

"I hate maths. But it's using numbers to predicting the future."

Catherine leaned in closer.

"If these nightmares mean something, if they're more than what they appear…" Kayla flipped through her textbook. "Learning Arithmancy could back up my predictions with numerical facts."

Catherine leaned back in her chair and stared back at the mountain tops. She wondered how long it would be until snow frosted the faces of the mountains.

"Have you been having nightmares lately?"

When Kayla did not immediately answer, she turned. Kayla's face had gone quite pale, the dark circles beneath her eyes were even darker.

"You need to speak to Professor Trelawney about your dreams!" Catherine urged.

Kayla dropped her quill on top of her parchment and sat on her hands, self-conscious.

"You need to talk to her about what you're seeing. I'm sure she and possibly Professor Dumbledore would be interested in what you're seeing. They need to know."  
Catherine could tell that Kayla's eyes were watering. She reached across the table and grasped at her friend's hand.

"You need to tell someone who knows. Who understands what you're going through. It seems like your nightmares keep getting more violent."  
"-No one knows what I'm going through!" Kayla snapped as she jerked her hand away.

Kayla stood and began shoving her books and parchment into her rucksack.

"Hey!" Catherine said, a bit too loudly.

Kayla stopped. Catherine stood, her chair making a loud noise as it moved backward.

"I may not understand, but alienating your friends is not going to help either!"

Kayla's eyes welled up with tears as she slung her rucksack over her shoulder and marched toward the exit of the library.

Catherine watched her leave. She knew Kayla was stressed and overextending herself. She was taking too many classes and it was only the beginning of term. She knew that Kayla was overwhelmed. But that didn't excuse her for lashing out.

Catherine sat back down at the table began to sift through her Potions book.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Neville at the entrance to the library. He smiled goofily and waved. Catherine could feel her face redden and she immediately began to pack her things up. Neville must have seen her because in a flash he was beside her.

"Done with your homework already?" He asked, holding out one of her books. Catherine took it from him and shoved it into her bag.

"Yeah…" she lied.

Neville sighed, "Oh… I was hoping I'd catch you. I thought maybe we could go over our Herbology homework together for tomorrow?"

Catherine concentrated on packing her bag and did her best to avoid his eyes.

"I've got to go catch my friend, she's upset…"

"—-I saw her leave. She's got a temper that one."

Catherine shot Neville a poisonous look which made his ears instantly turn a bright red.

"—I mean, not that it's a bad thing. She's a good person. I mean, I know she's loyal to you. She's all about doing what's right. I can get on with that. It's a good quality."

Catherine cocked her head, "—-Not that I'm interested in a person like that. I just meant it's a good quality to have as a person. Doing what's right and all."

Neville looked down at his feet.

"Ummm…" Catherine pulled her bag off her shoulder and set it down in the chair nearby.

She pulled her Herbology book from her bag and immediately, Neville's face brightened.

"I am having trouble remembering the identifying markers of the Snargaluff plant."

Neville pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

"I know, it's tricky!" He said much too enthusiastically. "It just looks like any ol' gnarled stump you'd find in forest. But it's got a secret!"

Neville sidled closer to Catherine as he flipped through the pages of her Herbology book.

"You see," he whispered, his voice cracking with excitement. "It looks ordinary and such, but it actually hides these horrible thorn-covered vines that attack!"

Catherine couldn't help but meet his eyes, which were a kind sort of hazel-brown. She could feel the heat from his body and it was horribly distracting.

"I mean… only if they're provoked of course."

"What?" Catherine asked. She hadn't been paying attention.

Neville pointed at the book but did not look away from her, "Snargaluffs. They just look ordinary. Umm… but they can attack. Only if provoked though."

* * *

Kayla marched down the corridor. Her heavy rucksack caused the muscles in her back to ache. Her heart thrummed in her chest as she thought about her saying what she really was, aloud. Of course, it had been to Catherine and they'd spoken about the subject at length before. But even now, it seemed like some kind of horrible bit of profanity on the tip of her tongue.

"Seer…" She mouthed, feeling her tongue hit the back of her teeth.

She paced angrily through the courtyard. Autumn had begun to spread over the Hogwarts grounds and the cool air seemed to calm her ever so slightly.

She felt like a burden. Even though Catherine was more than willing to listen to her drone on and on about her terrible nightmares and visions, there was a point where Catherine could not truly understand. Kayla knew that Catherine would go above and beyond to protect her no matter the cost. But no one would truly understand what she had seen or what she had felt. Her memory flashed to the hissing voice she'd heard in the darkness, the pain she'd felt when she'd touched Draco Malfoy's hand. Everything was coming at her in bits and pieces. It were almost as if she were obtaining pieces of different puzzles. No matter how hard she tried, she could never get the pieces to fit. They were independent from one another. How could she focus? How could she figure out what was significant and what wasn't?

Kayla rounded a corner and collided hard with someone else. There was a flash of black as she tumbled backward and fell hard on the ground.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of red, a kind face with green eyes…

" _Come on…_ " urged the sweet voice. Kayla felt a sense of desperation and then a welling sense of happiness. The two sensations came so quickly that she felt her stomach somersault.

She could hear the sweet voice talking. It called a name… She didn't understand. -Maybe it was a nickname…

Someone was pulling her up from the ground. She could feel them as they dusted off her shoulder. Then they were shaking her.

"Miss Roth!" The voice was far away, but it was impatient.

The feelings came faster and Kayla felt suddenly seasick by the waves of emotion. The vision was clouded but she could hear the sweet voice and feel the pangs of sorrow.

"Miss Roth!" Demanded the voice. Kayla opened her eyes to find Professor Snape standing before her. His hands were on her shoulders. She felt dizzy and felt herself sliding back into the vision. "Sev…" she whispered. "Sev, please…"

Snape shook her shoulders again, "What? What did you say?!"

Suddenly, the vision vanished and Kayla found herself alert. Professor Snape's face was filled with a range of emotions. He looked fearful, angry, and confused.

"I'm sorry Professor," Kayla said, "I must have not been looking where I was going."

It was best in these types of run-ins with Professor Snape to keep moving. The professor was adept to deducting House points at the drop of a hat and it was best if one did not stick around.

"Wait! I have not excused you."

Kayla stopped, her heart hammered in her chest. She looked at Snape's shoulder where she had made hard and abrupt contact with him. Was it as simple as that? _A touch?_ Draco had merely brushed the back of her hand when she had a vision. _But why him? And why Snape?_

"Again, I'm sorry for running into you professor. I forgot to eat lunch today and I must have lost my balance."

She expected Snape to demand her to stop as she walked away, but he said nothing. Tears burned her eyes.

Why were the visions happening more and more? Kayla felt more alone than she'd ever felt before. She was lightheaded from the vision and decided that perhaps she should head towards the Great Hall. Maybe getting something into her stomach would help. She wondered if perhaps Catherine would meet her there. She could tell her about what she had seen and could ask her what she thought it meant. Catherine knew Professor Snape better than Kayla did. He was Head of Slytherin House after all. While most students found Professor Snape completely detestable, Catherine claimed that he wasn't "all bad" and was "tolerable" when it came to students in his own House. Maybe she could shed some light.

Just as Kayla turned to enter the Great Hall, she saw Maggie, her Beater's club slung against her shoulder. Kayla heaved a heavy sigh. This was not what she needed right now.

"Eh, haven't seen you around in awhile. Been busy with classes?"

Maggie was dressed in her Quidditch robes, her face damp with sweat. She was surrounded by other Gryffindor Quidditch players.

"Come on Maggie, let's go eat!"

Maggie shooed them away and promised to catch up with them later.

"You alright?" She asked, placing a hand on Kayla's shoulder. Kayla winced, it was sore from where she had had clashed with Professor Snape. She moved her shoulder from Maggie's grasp.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"You're pale as a ghost. Something happen?"

Kayla felt lightheaded and frustrated. If only she could sit down and eat she would be okay. That and she needed to find Catherine.

Kayla looked around Maggie into the Great Hall.

"Hey, why don't you come with me for a second."

Maggie placed a hand on Kayla's back and led her down the corridor to a quiet stairwell.

"Tell me, what's going on? Haven't seen you since the Quidditch pitch."

Kayla shook her head and inhaled deeply to quell the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I just have a lot going on. Classes and homework and such. I'm just a bit overwhelmed is all," she said hoarsely.

Maggie smiled and propped her club against the wall. She reached inside of her cloak and pulled out a crumpled piece of wrapping.

"This should cheer you up." Maggie said, as she handed Kayla a piece of chocolate.

Kayla bit off the end of piece and sighed.

"How's that now?"

Regaining her composure, Kayla turned to Maggie, "You know it's funny. Even in the Muggle world they give chocolate to cheer each other up. There's no magical properties to chocolate. Oftentimes, unless it's enchanted like the Chocolate Frog, it's no different when it comes to ingredients. So what is it that 'cheers' someone up?"

Maggie moved closer. Kayla moved backward until her back was against the stone wall. She felt her entire body feel as if fire had filled her veins. Maggie bit her lower lip as she leaned in closer. Maggie smelled of grass and sweat and it made Kayla's heart beat wildly in her chest.

"I think it's the sugar," Maggie whispered, before kissing Kayla fully on the lips. She shifted and wrapped her arms around Kayla's waist. Thoughts of visions, arguments and Professor Snape vanished from her head. Kayla felt as if she'd become detached from her body as she pulled on Maggie's sweater and felt the smoothness of her lower back. She wanted more but Maggie moved away, a sly smile on her lips. She pulled a small bottle from her cloak.

"Officially made Beater today and the lot gave me this to celebrate." It was a small bottle of Firewhiskey.

"But we're not allowed to—"

Maggie pulled the bottle away, smiling. "If you don't want any you don't have to have any."

Kayla bit her lower lip as Maggie took a long swig from the bottle. Kayla grasped for the bottle and held it to her lips.

"Burns a little going down, just so you know."

Kayla downed the rest of the Firewhisky to not only Maggie's surprise but her own as well. When she had finished the last drop, Maggie took the bottle and hid it in her cloak.

She clutched Kayla by her robes and pulled her to her chest before kissing her deeply.

* * *

That night, Kayla fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. When she woke the next morning she wandered sleepily to the Ravenclaw common room and stared out of the high tower at the mountains in the distance. One of the windows was propped open and the cool autumn air drifted in. Maybe today would be better than the day before. Kayla glanced at her reflection in the window. She saw a small bruise on her neck just below her ear. Kayla brushed her her over her shoulders so it covered the bruise. -Then again, yesterday hadn't been quite so terrible...

The thought of kissing Maggie came over her like a warm wave. She thought about how Maggie's lips had felt on her neck and the way Maggie's skin had felt so soft beneath her fingertips. The Firewhisky had given her just the right amount of courage to let go, if only for a moment.

Kayla leaned against the tall windows and stared down at the Hogwarts grounds.

Unbeknownst to her, Dane Blackwood entered the common room. He stared at Kayla for a moment. She seemed happy, completely lost in her own thoughts. Her curly hair was messy. She was leaning lazily against the window as she bit the end of her thumb. He stepped closer to her. He needed to tell her. He needed to talk to her. Maybe she would understand...

-Instead, he turned, and silently left the common room.

Kayla watched as a gust of air tossed the trees below about. Autumn was definitely here. It was her favorite season after all. She felt a wave of happiness rush over her. What would Catherine say if she knew what had happened the previous night? She felt giddy and could hardly wait to tell her.

 _Was this what it felt like to feel rested?_

Rested.

How long had it been since she had felt _rested?_

Kayla thought back to the previous days, weeks and months. Almost every night had been filled with whispers, nightmares, and vivid dreams. Kayla placed a hand on her head. Now that she was thought about it, she had **_never_** slept so dreamlessly.


	13. Visions at the Astronomy Tower

While most students were sleeping in on Saturday morning, Kayla had made her way to the library. She had awoken in the wee hours to thunder rumbling in the distance.

She concentrated on writing down every single detail she could remember from the night she'd seen Maggie and spoken to her in the corridor. She remembered the quiet stairwell, the Firewhisky and the way it had burned her throat as she swallowed. -But it hadn't burned as strongly as she had suspected. There were hints of lavender in the taste of it and something else… But even now, as she tried to recall the events, they seemed to scatter away from her. She remembered soft lips against her skin and the fire she felt in her veins. But after that, everything seems to shrink away into darkness. She remembered falling into bed...

Kayla stopped writing and stared down at the timeline of events she'd written in a small notebook. She had written details of sensations she remembered. There was a fear somewhere that perhaps she would forget all of this. It had only been two days ago and yet the memory of Maggie in the stairwell had begun to fade. She hadn't spoken to Catherine since the library. Not because she was still angry, but mostly because their busy schedules had kept them out of reach of one another.

Rain began pelting against the stained glass windows and Kayla watched as the drops of rain fell down, against the glass. She felt empty inside. She covered her eyes with her hand and sighed. Somewhere deep inside, she wanted to cry. But she could not. She was past crying. All that she could feel at the moment was an empty hollowness that made her feel like a ghost. Even Madam Irma Pince, the librarian, had barely uttered a word to Kayla when she had opened up the library at five o'clock in the morning.

Kayla picked up her quill and wrote while still covering her eyes. She did not want to see the conclusion she had made. She inhaled deeply and then exhaled before uncovering her eyes to see what she had written:

 _Sleeping Draught_

Her already empty stomach lurched and she buried her face in her hands. Maggie had put a Sleeping Draught in either the chocolate she'd eaten or the Firewhisky. From the notes of lavender she had detected from the Firewhisky, that seemed the likely suspect. Perhaps both had been laced with the potion.

Anger boiled in her chest and she could already feel herself wanting to plot revenge. But she needed to know **_why_** Maggie had done this.

Kayla closed her notebook and tucked it beneath her arm. It was still dark outside and she wondered if perhaps she should head to the Great Hall and wait for Catherine. It was Saturday though, and Catherine was known to sleep very late on weekends. Kayla nodded to Madam Pince as she left the library and headed out to the corridor. She hadn't headed in the direction of the Great Hall but heard footsteps behind her.

It was Dane Blackwood.

He was walking strangely toward her.

"Dane?" She called. But he did not turn in her direction or respond. Instead, he turned and began walking up a spiral staircase. She paced after him, realizing as he walked beneath one of the torches that lit the staircase, that he was still in his pajamas and that he was barefoot.

She bounded up the stairs after him and called his name, but still he did not respond. They were headed to the Astronomy Tower which was out of bounds except for classes. When they had made it to the top, Dane walked about as if he was looking for something. When he turned to face Kayla, she realized that while his eyes were open, he could not see her. Then, Dane turned as if he heard something behind him.

"Dane! Wake up! You're asleep!" She shouted.

But Dane stared off in the distance as if he were listening to something else. Suddenly, he broke out into a run toward the ledge of the Astronomy Tower and Kayla raced after him. Just before he could run off the edge, Kayla grasped onto his wrist and pulled him backward.

Kayla was immediately thrust into darkness. She fell backward and felt her elbow hit something hard beneath her. She was laying on a cobble-stoned street. Dane was on top of her. He pulled himself up, his face aghast with surprise as he stared down at Kayla.

"Dane!" Shouted a voice, "Help! Please!"

Dane stood and pulled Kayla to her feet. His light eyes were brimming with tears. When he turned to run, Kayla caught his shoulder.

"Dane you can't! You're dreaming!"

"You don't understand!" He shouted, "She's right there! I can hear her!"

Kayla could also hear the young voice calling his name in the distance. Who knows where they actually were.

"I understand. Trust me I do. But we aren't wherever this place is. We're on top of the Astronomy Tower!"

Dane blinked and rubbed the side of his head.

"No… No. I hear her. She's right here." He pleaded.

Kayla grabbed at his arms and stared straight into his eyes, "I believe you. Whomever you're looking for is here. But you need to wake up!"

Dane closed his eyes and breathed. When he opened his eyes he found Kayla in front of him. The darkness had fallen away. They were standing near the edge of the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

Dane and Kayla sat beside the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room. They'd both changed after being drenched by the driving rain while on top of the Astronomy Tower. Dane had changed out of his pajamas and into a thick black sweater and black trousers. In the firelight, his features seemed even more striking with the contrast of his dark outfit. They both sat for awhile without saying a word. Dane ruffled his damp, light-brown hair. Kayla stared into the flames as the digested all that had just happened.

Dane glanced over at Kayla. Her dark hair was damp as well and had begun to curl.

"How long have you known?" Kayla asked, her voice hoarse.

Dane blinked. He wasn't sure what exactly she meant.

"How long have I—"

"—How long have you known that you're a Seer?" She clarified.

Dane swallowed hard looked down at his hand that had mostly healed since he had punched the stone floor next to bed.

"I've known that I was a Seer since I was eight. It started out very benign. I had dreams about what I would eat the next day. Or I predicted a surprise visit by a relative. But the time I turned eleven, the dreams became darker. I started having nightmares."

Dane rubbed his knuckles against his lips, remembering how Kayla had wrapped them.

"And then, a couple of years ago…"

Kayla's heart began to beat faster. She knew what he was going to say because she had felt it too.

"…After the Triwizard Tournament, the dreams turned into night terrors. They were more vivid than I remember. I started sleep walking. And then last year…"

Dane lowered his head and closed his eyes as he fought off tears. He swallowed and tried to gather his composure.

"I had a nightmare that my sister died. That she drowned in the pool in our garden."

Kayla opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"But it was all wrong!" He wiped the tears from his face. "The surface of the pool had frozen. And I saw her. I saw her staring up at me as if it were my fault! And then she was gone."

Kayla felt goosebumps litter her skin. She wanted to ask him. But the thought of asking him made her feel ill.

"Dane. Did she—"

"—Yes." He choked out.

Kayla stared back into the flames. "I'm sorry."

Dane rubbed his face with the back of his sleeve. "But I hear her. I still hear her."

Kayla turned back to Dane, whose eyes were red and swollen. She scooted closer to him and tugged on his sweater.

"I heard her too."

Dane sniffled and ran hand through his messy, damp hair.

"You're a Seer too." He said. It wasn't a question. It was a simple statement.

Kayla straightened and tucked her feet beneath her but said nothing.

"I know you are," he confessed. "I've known for awhile. I just wanted to be sure." Still, she did not respond. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and stared into the flames.

"You're afraid." Dane moved closer to her. "But you shouldn't be."

Kayla's face was suddenly filled with anger.

"I just stopped you from nearly killing yourself by jumping off the Astronomy Tower and you're telling me there's nothing I should be afraid of?"

She was right.

"I just mean that I've been fighting it lately. These dreams about my sister have gotten more intense the more I fight them. I've never actually walked while asleep."

"So," Kayla moved backward and leaned against a chair. "You're saying the more we fight it the worse it gets?"

Dane nodded.

"When did you know you realize you were a Seer?" He asked, his voice cracking.

She shook her head. "I think I've always known. But my parents disappeared before first year. And since then, the visions became darker. They took a turn as well when You-Know-Who came back. But this year… -This year they're different."

"How so?"  
The sound of shuffling from the dormitories above signaled that some of the students had begun to wake an stir. Their time was limited. They needed to find somewhere else to have this conversation.

"The visions… -They come in pieces and everything is surrounded in darkness."

"It's the same for me," Dane whispered.

Kayla thought to how she'd touched Dane and how she'd been yanked into his vision. And then the night she'd wrapped his bleeding knuckles. He'd moved away from her, as if he knew that their touch would result in some sort of psychic connection.

"What happens if we touch?"

Dane's face began to turn pink.

"I mean like up on the Astronomy Tower? I touched you and I was suddenly in your vision."

Kayla reached out to touch his hand. "What would happen now if I—-"

But Dane pulled his hand away. "Not now," he whispered.

Students began to enter the common room. Kayla and Dane stood.

"Meet me on the second-floor corridor tonight. Bring your friend."

"Catherine?" Kayla asked as Dane walked back up toward his dormitory.

Dane nodded.

"Meet me around eight."


	14. If You Have To Ask You'll Never Know

**A/N: I wanted to point out that writing this story has not only been extremely therapeutic, but it has also helped me delve back into the art of fiction. My major in college was English but my minor was in filmmaking with a concentration in screenwriting and directing. I fell in love with screenwriting while I attended college years ago. Learning how to write in a screenplay format takes a complete rewiring of your brain. I oftentimes find it difficult to write this in fiction but continue on. I sometimes look back at things I had written years ago and see how much rich detail is in every description. Please bear with me as I continue to rewire my brain once more so that I may visualize in a non screenplay-like format.**

 **Furthermore, I'm really enjoying having a space to just write. No matter if it's good or bad or anything in between.**

* * *

The Great Hall was busy the time Dane sat down for breakfast. After the events early that morning, he'd found it difficult to find his appetite. But he knew from his shaking hands that he needed to eat. As he placed a piece of toast and egg on his plate, he thought about how he should have asked Kayla to eat with him. He felt guilty for leaving her without more answers. But it wasn't safe to talk about being a Seer amongst others. Dane's parents had known about his abilities since he had discovered them himself. His mother had said that he'd inherited them from his grandmother, who was a great Seer and had worked for the Ministry in the Hall of Prophecies for many years. Both his parents had warned him against speaking about his abilities. It was known that those in the Dark Arts prized on having Seers on their side. Since You-Know-Who had made a return, it was even more pertinent to remain quiet on the subject. It was rumoured that Death Eaters were scouring the land for Seers. They wanted to use them to help the Dark Lord. Therefore, any conversation between Kayla and himself would have to be conducted in private. From his observation of Kayla and her friend Catherine Delaney, he had come to the conclusion that Kayla's abilities had been discussed.

He'd watched them together. They didn't often speak to anyone else. Catherine had often spoken to a few others in Slytherin House, but Kayla spoke to very few other Ravenclaws. Dane could not fault Kayla for this. Carrying the secret of being a Seer was very much a burden. It was difficult to open up to others about what you saw and felt.

If Catherine Delaney did indeed know about Kayla's abilities, then he could intrust Catherine with his secret as well.

What Kayla did not know though, was that while Dane was a Seer, he was also an Empath. And he suspected that she might be as well. Sometimes, additional senses came with being a Seer. Dane could not only see the future, but he could also feel someone's happiness or pain.

As Dane continued grabbed another piece of toast, he thought about how Kayla had tried to reach out to touch him. Although it did not always happen, physical contact between Seers could create interesting results. The banned copy of _Confronting the Faceless_ he'd purchased in Hogsmeade awhile back had briefly mentioned the results of contact between Seers. He thought back to sitting beside Kayla by the fire and how he had felt drawn to her. He felt himself pulled toward her. If he had asked her to have breakfast with him, she would be sitting beside him now, the warmth of her body drawing him close.

Dane grabbed the goblet beside him and downed some cold water. He needed to keep himself together.

The thought of what would happen that night did nothing to help satiate the hunger he felt to be near her. He needed to show her what he'd learned about physical contact between Seers, as he'd read in _Confronting the Faceless._ It could be used to their advantage.

There was something coming. He could feel it. Something dark was coming and no matter what he did, no matter what events he tried to change, it would happen.

There was something else…

Kayla had heard Sophia.

He felt deep down that she was not dead. She was somewhere and she was calling for him. Perhaps, Kayla could help him find her. He needed to find out who had taken her and why.

He needed to bring her home.

* * *

Catherine was pretty sure the coast was clear as she made her way out of the dungeons and up into the first-floor corridor. Surely, Neville wasn't so dimwitted as to try to wait for her outside of the Slytherin common room. Catherine snickered at the idea of Severus Snape as Neville Longbottom repellent. But it was true. Neville was terrified of Professor Snape. Everyone knew it.

It wasn't as if Catherine wanted Neville away from her completely. She just needed time to think. There were so many things she needed to weigh. Attraction wasn't so simple. There were things that needed to happen and things that didn't need to happen. She wanted so much to be certain about her feelings if she was going to act on them. And Neville needed to be certain about his motivations as well. She knew that she was overthinking it but she needed to just be _sure._

Whatever that meant.

"Catherine!" Kayla shouted, practically scaring the ghost out of her. Catherine instinctively clutched her chest before slapping Kayla across the arm.

"What the bloody hell are you jumping out from behind corners for?!"

Kayla's eyes were wide.

"Ssss…Sorry. I've been waiting for you since nine o'clock."

They walked down the corridor together toward the Great Hall.

"You know I never get up before eleven on a weekend."

Kayla bounced ahead of her to cut Catherine off. "I have to talk to you in private."

Catherine arched an eyebrow.

"Immediately!"

Kayla explained the events that had taken place earlier that morning. She told Catherine about finding Dane sleep walking and him almost flinging himself off of the Astronomy Tower. She explained in great detail about how she'd slipped into Dane's vision.

"That's kinda hot, don't you think?"

Kayla shot Catherine a look of confusion.

"'Slipping into his vision,' I mean you touched him and there was literal—"

"—-That's not what's important right now!"

Catherine slapped Kayla across the arm again. "Stop hitting me!"

"Of course it's important. Not only is it kind of hot, I mean, you've found yourself another Seer! Weren't you just telling me the other day that no one understood what you were going through?"

Kayla felt her cheeks grow warm, "About that…-I'm sorry for yelling at you. You didn't deserve that. I didn't mean to leave you all by yourself."

This time it was Catherine's turn to blush. "I mean you didn't leave me completely by myself."

Catherine explained her run-in with Neville and how they'd studied for an hour together over Herbology homework.

"Hot…" Kayla said, mockingly.

Catherine swung her hand out again to slap her arm, but Kayla pulled out her wand.

"Please don't. I'm a bit sore."

Catherine burst out laughing. "I bet you are."

"No, not from colliding with Dane. I actually…"

Before Kayla could explain Catherine pulled out her wand and pushed back Kayla's hair to reveal the small bruise beneath her ear.

"Dane did that to you?" Catherine asked, venom in her tone.

Kayla brushed her hair over her neck, "No it's not from him. It's from Maggie actually…"

Catherine cupped her mouth, "You snogged Maggie from the train?"

The colour drained from Kayla's face and she began to turn a sickly pale.

"What's wrong?"

Kayla explained what had happened. She opened her notebook up and revealed her transcript of details. The missing time. The lavender she had tasted in the Firewhisky.

Catherine clutched her wand tightly.

"Where is that bitch?!"

Kayla shushed her, "Please not right now. Before you do anything, I need to find out why."

"Who gives a troll's arse _why?_ That tosspot deserves to be strung up from the Whomping Willow. I'll be damned if—"

"Catherine, please…" Kayla's voice settled her for a moment. It wasn't often that Catherine obeyed something like this. Especially when her best friend's safety was involved. But something in Kayla's voice made her hesitate.

"Trust me, I want revenge. But I need to know why she did it first. There has to be more to it than just drugging me. She did it for a reason."

Catherine nodded. She would wait for now. But retribution was coming for Maggie whether she was ready or not.

"You know, I'm not exactly a fan of your romantic tastes," Catherine teased as they entered the Great Hall and sat to eat.

"I'm over Maggie if that's what you mean." Kayla said as she grabbed a piece of toast and dipped it into her sunny-side up egg.

Catherine took a bite of her French toast and smiled, "And Dane?"

Kayla rolled her eyes. "He's not a romantic interest. He's a Seer like me. He's a connection."

"Love connection…" Catherine joked as she took another bite.

* * *

Kayla was early when she entered the second-floor corridor. It was only seven thirty-five when she got to the second-floor corridor. She shuffled her feet and paced the floor. She knew Catherine would probably be late.

"You're early," Dane said. He'd appeared out of seemingly nowhere. There was a smile on his face. He seemed in much better spirits than he had been earlier that morning.

His clear blue eyes however, appeared slightly greener now.

"Where are we going?" Kayla asked, as she folded her arms across her chest.

Dane smiled, "Surely, you've figured it out by now."

Kayla peered at the large wall beside them.

"The Room of Requirement?"

Dane nodded. "I think you're familiar with the place from last year if I recall."

Kayla faced the blank wall, remembering how she'd entered the Room of Requirement several times the year before when she'd been a part of Dumbledore's Army. Harry Potter had taught them spells that they weren't allowed to learn while the formidable Professor Umbridge had been in charge. It had been a place a solace and actual learning. Something Umbridge had frowned upon during her charge as Headmaster. But Kayla hadn't been back in the Room of Requirement since.

"Do you know how to get in?" Dane asked, his raspy voice seemed almost sad.

Kayla smiled. "Of course I do."

Dane seemed nervous. He stared at the wall as if he was afraid that the very stones might explode from where they were. He was breathing heavily. The thought of the unexpected worried him.

"You can hold my hand if you're scared," Kayla teased, half-heartedly.

Dane smirked, "You know we can't do that."

Kayla breathed deeply, "Fine then, grab the sleeve of my jumper"

Dane looked down at Kayla's arm, which was small even beneath the jumper. He thought about how desperately he wanted to touch the flesh of her hand and feel her warmth. But instead, he grabbed the heavy knit of her sweater and watched her carefully as she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Suddenly, the wall before them began to slowly crumble. Dane backed away but Kayla caught his arm, careful to only touch his dark coat. She kept her eyes closed until a door had appeared that hadn't been there before.

"So, how does it…"

"If you have to ask, you'll never know," Kayla whispered.

As the Room of Requirement opened up to them, Kayla whisked out her wand and ignited candles around them that moved to levitate above them.

Dane walked around, admiring space.

"So this is the Come and Go Room," he said, as he walked the perimeter.

Kayla nodded, "It's normally located on the seventh floor in the left corridor of the castle. But we fashioned an alternate route last year as means of escape when Umbridge was looking for us."

Dane stared up at the ceiling which seemed to extend up into the night sky, not unlike the ceiling in the Great Hall.

"I say _we_ fashioned an alternate route… -Catherine did, actually."

This caught Dane's attention. "But she's a Slytherin…"

Kayla could feel herself tensing as she felt herself becoming defensive.

"Not all Slytherins are bad you know."

Dane shook his head, "That's not what I meant. I wasn't a part of Dumbledore's Army. I just had heard that no Slytherin students attended."

Kayla inched closer to Dane, and now due to habit, he moved backward slightly.

"Don't believe everything you hear."

Kayla moved away from him and walked around the room, also admiring the dimensions.

"That's actually how she earned a nickname among Dumbledore's Army. She didn't always participate. But she was our escape artist."

A thought came to her suddenly, "That's probably when Neville took interest in her."

"What?"

Kayla turned, "Catherine became the Escape Artist. She kept a look out for Filch and Umbridge and fashioned ways for us to escape right beneath their noses. She was quite the celebrity for a little while. But Catherine's not fond of being celebrity of anything."

Dane looked around the room, suddenly realizing that the two of them were very much alone. He felt his stomach somersault and a heat begin to grow in his chest.

"By the way, where is Catherine? You told her to come, right?"

Kayla nodded and glanced at her watch. "It's not even eight yet. She'll be here around eight fifteen."

Dane began to feel his heart beat faster in his chest. He hated feeling like this. It made him feel like some sort of animal. Normally, he had some control over his feelings.

"I don't like the unexpected," Kayla said, walking over to him. "I don't like something to happen that I am not prepared for."

She stood close to him and extended her hand palm up.

"I want to know what to expect before Catherine gets here."

Dane extended his hand but hesitated, "I think we should wait."

Kayla moved closer, he could feel the heat from her hand against the palm of his hand.

Her eyes were dark, almost black. They were hard to read. Was she challenging him? Before she had seemed so afraid. But now, she seemed strong and unwavering.

He felt himself shaking and clutched his fist to steady himself. She wasn't afraid. But she didn't know what would happen or could happen if they touched.

He felt himself staring at her mouth and he subconsciously licked his lips. Kayla moved closer and he could feel her breath against his chin.

"Now if I'm going to be the third wheel…" Catherine said so loudly that Kayla and Dane jumped apart.

"Merlin's beard you don't need to jump apart just because I'm here. I know I'm supposed to be the creepy voyeur over here but—"

"Dane Blackwood, this is Catherine Delaney."

As Kayla watched Dane shake Catherine's hand without hesitation, a pang of jealousy shot through her, but she pushed it away.

"Catherine, I'm sure Kayla's told you that I'm a Seer like her."

Catherine nodded.

"I'm sure she's filled you in on what I told her about Seers physically touching?"

"Yeah she did," Catherine teased as she winked at Kayla.

Kayla shot Catherine a look.

"We need you here for several reasons. First off, I'm not sure what will happen exactly. Second… you may need to wake us if things become too violent. Whatever happens to us while we are in our visions can directly affect us here."

Catherine nodded in agreement. "What are we waiting for then?"


	15. If You Know, You Need Only Ask

**A/N: I apologize for the delay in postings. I work for the media so I've been very busy with hurricane coverage of both Harvey and Irma. My thoughts go out to the victims of Texas. I'm from Florida and am purely writing to distract myself from being worried about my family and my best friend (my Slytherin best friend). I apologize for this being a short chapter. But this chapter is for her. -Hope this distracts you from the storm. Stay safe Florida.**

* * *

Sensing the deepening of the atmosphere, the Room of Requirement was suddenly flooded by a surge of warm light, as all of the candles floating about the room grew brighter. Even though the room grew significantly warmer, Kayla felt a cold breeze sift through her and soon her skin was littered with goosebumps. Dane's hands were shaking as they neared her own.

Catherine stepped back a few steps, unsure of what would happen next.

As if everything moved in slow motion, as Kayla's hands neared Dane's she began hearing a scream somewhere. It started out dull and far away, somewhere in the back of her head. She concentrated on his hand and the warmth she felt as his hand neared her own. The scream became louder and just before they touched, she was thrown backward.

She fell back and became submerged in ice cold water. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness. Below her was a dark abyss. Suddenly, her heart began to hammer in her chest. She swam up but crashed her head against something hard and cold. Her vision blurred and she felt herself begin to sink.

"Sophia!" Shouted a muffled voice above her.

The sound of the voice sent a rush of adrenaline through her and she began to swim up to the surface. But there was something covering the surface of the body of water she was in. Was it glass? She pounded against the surface. _Ice._

Then, something touched her. It grasped onto her ankle and she felt her mind go blank and there was darkness.

She was whipped around through the air and could suddenly feel a stabbing pain in her lower back.

 _"You have no choice…"_ Hissed a voice. A grimy hand grasped her by the chin.

 _"Join him or your family dies."_

Something warm filled Kayla's chest and she turned around, pulled her wand from her robes and grabbed the person behind her by the scruff of their robes. Still, she could not see their face. A rage filled her chest and she felt something creep up her spine.

" _Don't underestimate me you son of a bitch!"_ She said.

Something crawled under her skin. Something was taking over.

But the person grabbed her back and she felt a grimy finger touch her below her collarbone where she knew her scar resided. It began to burn and she moved back, clutching her chest.

 _"I know who you are…"_ The voice teased. " _I know exactly who you are…"_

Suddenly, someone grabbed the back of Kayla's shirt and flung her backwards.

"Enough!" Catherine shouted.

When Kayla opened her eyes, she saw the candles of the Room of Requirement floating above her. Catherine was between her and Dane, her wand drawn and aimed right at his face.

"I didn't touch her!" Shouted Dane.

Catherine's face was filled with rage. She flourished her wand again but this time Dane blocked her spell.

"Wait! Wait!" Dane rushed to Kayla's side, but she shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me!"

Dane and Catherine looked on. Kayla's hair and clothes were soaking wet. Kayla closed her eyes and held a hand on either side of her head. She breathed heavily in and out as if she were having a panic attack. She took a sudden sharp intake of breath and then said, "Ice. Water. Drowning. Couldn't reach the surface. Someone pounding back. Darkness."

"Sophia…" Dane breathed. He moved closer, his eyes beginning to brim with tears. "Did you see Sophia? Is she alive?"

Kayla stared at the floor, digesting her thoughts.

"Was she… did you see her?"

Kayla shook her head, "I didn't see her. I _was_ her."

Dane sat back and put a hand to his mouth.

Catherine's wand was gripped tightly in her hand as she walked over.

"The person…" She said, "The person who threatened you. What did he mean?"

Dane and Kayla looked at Catherine in shock.

"I saw it too." Catherine's voice cracked. "I saw all of it."

* * *

 **I'll be posting more (and longer) chapters soon. Stay tuned. I want to get back into the thick of Hogwarts life and have some fun ideas ahead. Stay tuned.**


	16. Dreams and Empty Corridors

**A/N: I'm finally able to write a little bit more after several months of working endlessly. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

That night, Dane fell into a deep slumber. More often than not, his sleep was riddled with terrible nightmares and visions that would wake him in the stark cold of night, only to find himself alone, sitting up in bed drenched in sweat, while the other boys around him slept soundlessly. Before he had fallen asleep, he thought of Kayla and how she must suffer from the same restless nights as himself. He was no longer alone in that.

Sleep came over him as if someone had cast a spell. He felt his body being pulled down to the depths of sleep. Never had he felt this tired.

 _Sophia…_ he thought, as his eyes fluttered close.

Kayla had seen his sister. She had felt what she had felt. Seen what she had seen. Maybe there was a chance that his sister was still alive.

But before he could analyze what had happened in the Room of Requirement anymore, he felt himself plunged into darkness.

* * *

In his dream, he found himself barefoot in the corridor near the Great Hall. He heard the roaring sound of students talking, but when he rounded the corner, he found the Great Hall empty. Not a student was in sight. Dane walked barefoot around the castle, desperate to find someone, but instead he found no one. No professors, no students, not even a single ghost floated through the corridors of the castle.

Dane felt as though someone grazed the back of his neck with cold fingers and turned in place to see who it was. Instead, he was met with another empty hallway.

Something wasn't right. He was sure he was dreaming. Since he was a young boy, he'd always managed to wake himself up from dreams. Visions however, were much trickier.

When he entered the library, he found that even the librarian, Madam Pince was not at her usual post. How often had she lurked from her corner at him, confident that in some way he was mistreating or damaging one of her books? He never understood her suspicion over him. Perhaps, it was his eyes. His mother had always told him he had misleading eyes. Madam Pince had probably interpreted "misleading" as "untrustworthy." Dane had never damaged a book in his life. He had always made sure to turn pages gently. If someone were to mistreat any one of his books, he would spend time practicing spells on mending the binding or straightening the bent pages.

As he wandered through the library, he momentarily glanced back at Madam Pince's post. Even though she was absent, he could feel her watchful eye on him.

A storm was raging outside and rain beat heavily against the window panes. His eyes flickered over to the tall glass windows but he looked away. If this was indeed a dream, then he didn't dare stare at his own reflection. From his knowledge of Divination, staring at one's own reflection would result in the immediate expulsion from the dream. Something was tugging at him to wander through the library as if he were being pulled by an invisible string. No, he definitely didn't want to wake up just yet.

He thought about how defensive Catherine had been over Kayla. They were indeed, best friends. But now, Catherine had gotten a glimpse of what Kayla and Dane experienced on a daily basis. Their connection would be even tighter now. Dane surmised that Catherine would be even more protective of Kayla. After the incident in the Room of Requirement, Kayla had left in a hurry. He thought about the electric feeling he'd encountered as her hands had neared his own.

Then, as he turned a corner he saw her there, at the end of the isle, book in hand.

"Kayla?" He called out, but nothing came past his lips. He tried speaking again, but his voice had gone. She was wearing a long white nightgown, her dark hair was loose and curly. Soft tendrils cupped her face and fell over her forehead as she glanced down at the heavy book she was reading. Her wand was curled in one hand as she read intensely.

Dane walked slowly to her, but she did not notice him. When he approached her, he waved a hand in front of her face, but still she did not stir. Her eyes stared at the book in her hands. They moved over the page with rapidity and she bit her lip slightly, as if whatever she were reading was about to lead her to some sort of precipice. He moved beside her to glance at the book, but when he stared down at the pages, he saw nothing but blank parchment. He furrowed his brow, certain that this meant something. He moved closer to her to look at the book. He could smell her perfume. It reminded him of the woods.

She adjusted the book in her grip and clutched her wand more tightly as she peered downward into the book. Small sparks flew from the tip of her wand.

He wanted to touch her, let her know that he was there. Maybe if she knew he was there, she'd let him help her. He glanced at her small and slender wrist, where the sleeve of her nightgown had slipped back. The thought of Catherine jinxing him at even the thought of touching Kayla was quite sobering. He swallowed, only to find that his throat felt dry and swollen.

Suddenly, Kayla threw the book down on the table beside her. She gripped her wand even more tightly, and her eyes welled up with tears.

 _Did she find something?_ Dane thought.

She was alone. Had she always been so alone? Even with Catherine's watchful presence always nearby, he knew she probably felt as isolated as he had felt.

Dane stared down at her hand, which was splayed out on the blank page in front of here.

Without thinking, he reached out and rested his hand on top of hers.

Not startled, she turned toward him, her eyes brimming with tears. Her eyes glanced at his chest and then up to his face.

He felt his heart quicken in his chest and his stomach somersaulted beneath his ribcage. Her pale face began to redden slightly. He too could feel blood rushing to his face. Kayla moved closer to him and before he could think of anything else, she was in his arms. He felt as if a fire had begun to roar through his veins, and glancing down at her, without saying a single word, he was absolutely certain she felt it too. There was fire in her eyes as she subconsciously licked her lips before biting down on them. He hadn't intended on pulling her to him so forcefully, but she didn't seem to mind as he kissed her. He placed a hand in her hair, cupping the back of her head. She sucked on his bottom lip and pulled his hips against her own.

How was it that in this moment, he felt more alive than he ever had? He'd always felt cold and quiet. He had been the boy who had tucked himself in corners behind the heavy drapery of his parents house at Blackwood, book in hand. His parents had forbade certain books in their library, for they had concealed dark and advanced magic. But his curious mind had led him to steal away with them, if only for a little while. As he had grown, he had become this person completely encompassed by visions and sight that he had felt his innards grow cold over time.

Now, he felt nothing but a radiating and throbbing heat.

He wanted her more than anything.

Dane pulled Kayla up so she sat on the desk beside the book. He moved closer and kissed her more deeply. Suddenly, he felt her hands on either side of his face. She moved him away from her, all the while, staring directly into his eyes. Her dark brown eyes had a hint of red in them.

She pulled out her wand from beneath her and pointed it at him.

He leapt back defensively, his hands held up to show that he meant her no harm. He told her that he was sorry but nothing came from his lips.

Her face was full of expression. Was it shock, sorrow, remorse?

" _Rennervate_ …" She said clearly. There was a flash and he found himself in front of the windows of the library, where the storm still raged outside. He saw it for only a moment before he caught sight of his reflection. His green eyes were glassy, his lips and chin, red. And then he was gone.

* * *

Dane opened his eyes to find the sun peeking through the curtains of his dormitory.

Everyone else had gone. Their beds were made. He was the only one still in bed.

After he had washed up and dressed, he went down to the Ravenclaw common room. He walked down just in time to see Marcus Belby walk through the door from breakfast.

"Hey, slept through the night, eh?"

Dane nodded. He'd gained a reputation for disturbing others with his nightmares in the middle of the night.

"Musta been a nice dream with all that groaning and moaning, eh?"

Dane felt his face grow hot as Marcus clapped him on the back and ran up the stairwell to the dormitory. Dane closed his eyes. Of course, Kayla would be behind him, in that chair she always sat in. She would probably be staring at him with an arched eyebrow, wondering what Marcus Belby had meant by a "nice dream with all that groaning and moaning."

But when he glanced over at the chair, he instead found Luna Lovegood. She was staring at him with a blank expression, the latest edition of The Quibbler in her hands.

He smiled at her and nodded, as a wave of self consciousness washed over him. He was just about to walk out of the common room when Luna's cheery, sing-song-like voice caused him to jump.

"I have them too you know," she said.

Dane turned, not sure what she was alluding to, and not really wanting to stick around to find out. When Dane did not reply, Luna smiled, "It's nice to dream about the ones we like, isn't it?"  
Dane smirked and nodded his head before he made his way out of the common room.

* * *

 **Next chapter coming soon...**


	17. Constellations and Private Disclosures

Catherine gazed up at the night sky. Above her, millions of stars sparkled above. It was a clear, crisp October night.

While the other students huddled around, pulling their cloaks more tightly around them, Catherine closed her eyes as the chilly breeze kissed her cheeks.

Professor Aurora Sinistra had not arrived yet. The students however, were already pulling out their telescopes and setting them upward to the night sky.

Astronomy was optional for years six and seven. Catherine had been the one of only a few students that had passed her O.W.L during fifth year and was allowed to advance to N.E.W.T. level.

Nights in Delaney household were often lonely. When Catherine was not scribbling away in response to one of Kayla's letters, her parents were often locked away in her father's study, talking quietly amongst themselves. One evening, when Catherine's parents were talking in the kitchen, she snuck into her father's study and browsed through his books. She wasn't sure he had any particular books of interest to her, but the mere thought of being somewhere where she shouldn't be, excited her.

By happenstance, she plucked the first book that caught her eye and darted out of the room as quickly as possible. When she was back in her room, she flipped through the book.

It was filled with beautiful gold tipped pages that detailed the names of stars, constellations, and planets. It listed their locations, movements and described the environments of the planets and moons. Catherine ran her fingers over the pages, mesmerized by a particular picture of a swirling galaxy filled with delightful, illuminating color. She wished fervently that she could simply lean forward and fall into the book and into the galaxy that swirled before her. Shooting stars leapt from the left page to the right. It was the Andromeda Galaxy. And it was right next door her own galaxy, the Milky Way.

"The Great Andromeda Nebula," she whispered aloud. Catherine turned to look out of her window. The bright summer sun was blinding.

 _Tonight_ , she thought. _Tonight I'll sneak outside and find Andromeda._

That had been so many years ago...

Catherine stared up at the night sky, and patted the bag that hung on her shoulder. Her father's Astronomy book was still tucked safely inside. It wasn't a school textbook, but it had become a source of comfort over the years. The weight of it inside her bag made her smile as she breathed in the cold night air.

Without warning, the visions of Kayla's vision fluttered before her. Catherine shook her head, she couldn't think about this now. She had written down the details of what she had seen after they had left the Room of Requirement. But right now, she just needed to focus on something else. She hadn't seen Kayla in a few days, which was not uncommon after Kayla had experienced an intense vision. But her max was 3 days. If Kayla did not appear in Potions the next day, only then would Catherine be concerned.

"Alright, everyone gather 'round," Professor Sinistra shouted, startling Catherine from her thoughts. Catherine and the rest of the students followed the professor across the Astronomy tower.

"Move closer together so I don't have to shout," Sinistra said. The students moved closer together and someone bumped into Catherine.

"Hey, watch it—"

"Sss… Sorry," whispered Neville.

Catherine's heart fell into her stomach. "Neville? What are you doing here? You don't take Astronomy."

"You're right. I don't. But Professor Sprout advised that I bring a few plants up to the Astronomy tower to document which ones bloom only at night. For example," Neville produced a small pot, where a green leafy plant was held. It was budding white and purple flowers draped over the edge.

"This is a Japanese Wisteria. It started blooming last night when Professor Sprout accidentally left it out. It's super finicky. It can even take several years for the clusters to boom. They're normally white or lilac. I'm studying effects of the plant at night."

Catherine reached over and gently touched one of the blooms.

"They're really pretty."

Neville smiled sheepishly. "Some of the most beautiful plants only bloom at night."

Catherine's mouth formed a hard line as she furrowed her brow. Neville reddened and moved slightly away.

"I'm going to stand aside so you can do you lesson," he whispered, just as Professor Sinistra began to speak.

Neville moved away from the rest of the class, pulled out some parchment and began sketching notes on the plant. Catherine watched him intently for a moment, oblivious to Sinistra's lecture.

"He's got a crush on you, you know?" Chirped Luna Lovegood. She was focused on her telescope as she peered down into the lens. "He's not a poet, but he has his heart in the right place."

* * *

Kayla had never been summoned to Professor Snape's office. She had always made top marks in his Potion's class and now in his Defense Against the Arts class. Professor Snape was of course, infamous in his punishments. His demeanor was sour and his tone even more so.

As Kayla stood before him, surrounded shadowy walls lined with shelves of large glass jars that were filled with slimy and revolting things, she knew that there was much more to this man than what met the eye. No person was a two-dimensional being. But tonight, she was too tired to analyze him. When she had entered the room and sat across from him at his desk, she had spotted a book that looked like a diary. How easy it would have been to let her hand graze across the cover. Perhaps then she would know why the Potion's master (errrr… Defense Against the Arts instructor), was so bitter and filled with dismay. But tonight, she could not. She was weak. Her body felt as if it had been devoid of everything but her flesh. She felt empty and lightheaded.

Her nightshirt was soaked, her curly hair in disarray and pulled back into a ponytail. Her forehead glistened with sweat.

"Professor Flitwick had urgent family business and could not be here tonight. He informed me that if you needed any assistance that I was to be called upon."  
Kayla said nothing but let her arms dangle over the sides of the chair, too weak to move them anywhere else.

"I'm not in the habit of aiding students who disturb other students with silly nightmares. However…" He stood abruptly.

Kayla glanced at the buttons of Professor Snape's cloak. They were buttoned up all the way to his neck. His sleeves extended just slightly over his hands.

"I don't think what you experienced was an ordinary nightmare."

Snape flicked his eyes over to her, barely making enough eye contact to make him seem human. Kayla had begun to shiver and leaned back in the chair.

"I must ask you something that you may not feel comfortable telling me. But I must ask you anyway."

Kayla stared at him, her eyes heavy. She felt as if she might collapse. For days, she had spent in bed without eating and drinking. She had been wracked with even more visions and intense nightmares. They had twisted her muscles in sleep and left her devoid of any energy.

"Your friends in your dormitory tell me that you've been waking up screaming for the past few nights."  
"I don't have friends." She croaked out. Snape turned sharply.

"Your peers then." He corrected, sternly.

Snape crossed the room and opened a drawer. He pulled out a small purple vial and handed it to her. When she looked up at him for an explanation for what it was, he raised his eyebrows.

"Drink it."

She did as she was told. Never in Kayla's now six years at Hogwarts had she been so surprised as she did in that moment. The vial was not filled with some terrible tasting elixir or tonic. It tasted of liquid chocolate. She drank it in one sip before handing it back to Snape. As she swallowed, it grew warm in her stomach. She felt the warmness begin to spread to her limbs and immediately felt a slight energy drift through her veins.

"Thank you."

Snape turned and put the vial on the end of his desk.

"It's something I've been working on for awhile. Something to bring one out of the darkness."

Kayla nodded.

"Are you a Seer?" He asked so abruptly that Kayla stared blankly for a few moments.

Snape stared at Kayla intently, his mouth slightly agape. Kayla stared at the vial on the corner of the desk.

"Did you give me Veritaserum?" She asked, anger beginning to boil within her.

Snape furrowed his brow in confusion, "No, I just told you—"

"If you used Veritaserum on me, I'll contact the Ministry straight away! I know someone who—"

"—I didn't give you Veritaserum silly girl!" Snape snapped back. "If I had you would have already confessed the truth."

Snape waved his wand and the vial on the end of his desk disappeared.

"I'm sorry, I'm just—"

"Protective," Snape finished. There was something about his tone of voice. His back was to her, but in his tone she could tell that something she had done or said had struck a cord with him.

He turned on his heel and faced her.

"I will not report you or speak any word of it if you tell me the truth. What you say in my office will be kept under strict confidentiality."

He moved closer to her, "Are you a Seer?"

Kayla did not need to See into Snape's past to know that he was a man that had been abused and tortured. Although she did not know the tale of his bitter and terrible past, the story was written out on his face and in the details of his demeanor.

"Yesss…" She sighed, before leaning back into the chair. Sweat dripped from her brow and she wiped it in earnest.

Snape reached across his desk and grasped for a book beside the one that appeared to be a diary. This one was green in color and faded. It was nondescript in it's cover. He extended it to her.

"I need you to prove it."

"Why?"

Snape sighed, "If you are what you say you are then you need protection. You may not know this but the Dark Lord is looking for witches and wizards like you. He wants to use you for his own doing. If he can find you, he will use you. And then he will kill you."

Snape paused for a moment. "You need the protection of Professor Dumbledore and I—"

"—You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Kayla shouted. She hadn't meant to shout, but something inside her felt threatened. She felt herself coil up in defense.

"I alone cannot protect you," Snape said, "If Professor Dumbledore is aware of your abilities he will do what I cannot. He will protect you at all cost."

Snape shoved the green book into her hand.

"Now, prove it."

Kayla eyed the diary on the desk. Snape glanced over and saw that she was staring it.

"No." He said simply.

Kayla swallowed and stared down at the green book. She felt nothing. Not an impending sense that she would be thrust into any sort of vision. Nor did she feel that there was anything remotely enchanted or dark about the book he had given her.

"Professor, what is said in this room will be kept confidential, you have my word."

Snape ripped the book out of her hands and turned away to take a seat at his desk.

"Perhaps, you were just disturbing your peers to get attention. If that's the case, then I should deduct points from your—-"

"I'm a Seer!" She shouted. The exclamation reverberated inside her head and made goosebumps litter her skin. Had she ever declared what she truly was, before? It felt stark. True. Did she feel emboldened? Or did she even more alone now?

"You needn't deduct points from my house for something that I cannot control."

"Then prove you're a Seer to me!"

Kayla turned her head away from him. Why did he insist on getting what he wanted through brunt force? The venomous threat had given her a burning urge to refuse him, even though something within her felt desperate to confess. Someone who had knowledge of this could help her. She thought of Catherine. If the Dark Lord found out about her and came for her, Catherine could be in danger. So could Dane…

"Hand me your diary." She said firmly, her jaw clenched.

"I said no!"

Kayla faced Professor Snape, her arms shaking.

"The green book you gave me has no significance whatsoever. If you want me to truly See, give me the diary. I promise that whatever is written in their shall never cross my lips outside of this room. I will not tell anyone what secrets you have."

Snape held a finger to his lips for a moment and glanced down at the book before he stood, picked it up and held it out to Kayla. His did not look at her. Instead, he stared across the room blankly.

Kayla looked down at the dark red, leather bound diary. As her hand neared the cover she immediately felt a stab of pain in her chest. Her fingers were but a breath away from it's pages before a sequence of several images flashed before her. There was pain, hate, and loneliness and a figure in the distance with flowing red hair. But the figure vanished suddenly. Then, there was Snape, he was in his early teens, curled in a ball in a dark corner. His face was blurry. She tried to concentrate on the image, but before she could do so, she was plunged into a deep and inky darkness.


	18. Sophia Blackwood

**Back from a long hiatus...**

* * *

She had been dreaming about swirling blue and green water deep in a forest right before she had woken at the sound of a loud CRACK. The ground was hard and wet beneath her. Her entire body was damp with cold and as she sat up, still dizzy from her dream, she felt her wet hair on the nape of her neck. The dungeon she'd been kept in was still just as cold, damp and terrifying as it had been before she'd fallen asleep. There was a flame floating in the distance, but her vision was blurry, and she couldn't make out the shadowy figure that was sitting hunched beside the flame.

"Use the girl..." Hissed a low female voice. "Not yet, she's too weak. Your suggestion to hex her knocked her out for two days straight," responded a low, male voice.

Had she really been knocked out for two days? It didn't feel that long.

She moved to sit up straighter, but felt her body go limp. Instead, she collapsed back against the hard, stone floor.

It would be best to just lie still for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember the dream she'd had before she had woken. She had been somewhere with thick trees. It had been just nearly twilight. The forest around her seemed to glow. There was a glowing pool just ahead. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and wood. Then, a voice called to her from afar. It was as if had been carried by the very wind that flowed through the canopy of trees.

"Get up, girl!" Shouted the male voice from the dark. The memory of the delightful dream vanished before her eyes as a grimy hand grasped at her shirt and thrust her up onto her feet. Her legs felt like jelly and she rocked back and forth. Gravity was urging her to fall once more, but before she could fall, a female voice from across the room shouted, " _Arresto momentum!"_

"If hexes and threats won't work, then perhaps the Cruciatus curse will make her oblige our simple request." The woman waved her wand and suddenly she was flying across the room. She came to a sudden halt, right in the woman's grip.

The woman's face was illuminated by the flame that hovered in the dark dungeon. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. Her mind went back to finding a wanted poster of Bellatrix Lestrange folded in one of her brother's books. But before she could escape to another memory, Bellatrix squeezed her throat ever so slightly and placed her wand against her face.

"I'll give you one last chance," Bellatrix whispered. "DO IT!"

Bellatrix cackled, "We know who your family is, my dear, sweet child. We know who your brother is too..."

Her eyes widened. Was it possible they knew what her brother was? If they did, not only would he be in danger, but her family would as well.

"SPEAK!"

She opened her mouth but her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse. "I knew you were coming for me... But I possess no magic. No measurable talent for-"

"LIAR!" Bellatrix spat.

"Even now, I see you. I see it in your eyes Miss Blackwood," Bellatrix laughed. I can see it in your bloody skin. I can even see it in your poorly dyed hair!"

She couldn't meet Bellatrix's eyes. It was becoming pointless to resist.

"Sophia..." Bellatrix whispered in a sing-song-like tone. She released her and Sophia clasped her hands to her own throat and fell to her knees.

Sophia Blackwood thought of her brother. How long had it been since she had seen him? Her memory was foggy. She had known that You-Know-Who's followers would come for her one day. She knew that they would want to use her. They would want to recruit and use _her kind._

"Does dear, sweet big brother know?"

Sophia gritted her teeth.

"Must have been terrible. Your parents keeping the secret from you. They probably didn't even know how to handle you. What do you do with a young child with such valuable qualities?"

Bellatrix walked around her as Sophia felt a warmth begin to rush upward from her toes to her torso. She swallowed hard, pushing the feeling down with all her might.

"Forbidden by your parents to go to Hogwarts, who couldn't understand the child they'd taken in…"

Sophia winced.

Bellatrix gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. "Does big brother know you're not blood?"

Sophia clenched her fists.

"Thought not. -Does he know you hide magic from him as well? Perhaps I should stop by for a little visit next time he's in Hogsmeade-"

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Sophia shouted. The warmth rushed up again and consumed her entire body. She could feel the bones in her face begin to change. Her face began to elongate, her shoulders began to ache and burn as long, scaly wings emerged from her back. She began to levitate off the ground as they flapped wildly behind her.

Bellatrix laughed maniacally, "That's more like it!"

But Sophia's strength had been sapped and she felt herself sink to the floor of the dungeon. Her wings began to vanish and her face returned to normal. Her hair, which had been dyed a horrible shade of dark red, now hung white-gold over her shoulders and glistened in the low firelight.

She tried to catch her breath as she curled her fists against the stone floor.

Bellatrix grabbed Sophia by her shirt and pulled her to her face. "What would dear brother Dane do if he knew that his little sister happened to be Veela?"


	19. Tempers

Dane sat at a table in the Ravenclaw common room. his face rested on his fist as he reviewed the following day's lesson for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He rocked his head back and forth on his fist. Every once in awhile he glanced toward the girls' dormitory and then back to his reading. Strong winds were blowing from the west and they rattled the tall windows of the common room. Most students were out and about on Sunday. They had filtered out of the common room one by one. Some nodded and muttered subdued hellos. Others walked right past without a single utterance.

To say that Dane was "distracted" would truly be an understatement.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps made Dane raise his head from his fist. But no one appeared in the doorway. Minutes later, something caught his eye from the direction of the girls' dormitory. Dane glanced up again, but saw much to his disappointment, that it was only the Grey Lady. His look of disappointment must have been apparent because she rolled her eyes at him as she floated across the room. Dane thought for a moment before he slammed his book shut with a loud thud.

"Miss Ravenclaw!" He shouted. She stopped for a moment, her back to him. "Um..." he muttered, "I was wondering, since you just came down from-"

"-Helena will do just fine." She corrected.

Dane cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Helena..."

She turned around slowly, disgust in her eyes. But as she looked at him, her features began to soften.

"I was wondering since you just came from the girls' dormitory, if you happened to see Kayla up there?"

Helena furrowed her brow. "It's not my duty to report on the presence of girls on behalf of young men such as yourself."

Dane raised a hand, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." He glanced at the floor for a moment before he met her eyes.

"It's just, you see, she's my friend and she's been out of sorts. I've just been wondering if she's okay."

Helena stared at Dane, examining him from top to bottom. He seemed like a trustworthy person. And normally, her perception of character was quite spot on, if she did say so herself.

"I will say," she said quietly, as if fearful someone might overhear. "I don't believe Miss Roth returned to her dormitory last night."

Helena watched as the blood left Dane's face and he grew very pale. His eyes widened and from where she stood, she could hear his heart thrumming in his chest. Perhaps it was the curse or gift of being a ghost; of never moving on and being constantly vigilant and studious of the living's emotions, but Helena could tell that Dane's concern was honest and true. She watched as his eyes scanned the floor as he searched for the meaning of what had happened to his friend.

"Wa...Was she okay when she left? Did you see her I mean?"

Blood was rushing to his face suddenly. His eyes were watering.

"Several girls escorted Miss Roth out of the dormitory last night very suddenly. After that, I'm not quite sure where she was taken."

Dane turned and began to throw his books into his rucksack. Helena felt a slight pang of jealousy as she watched his panicked face. For a moment, she wished that he was perhaps concerned for her. But the notion was completely obtuse and she quickly locked it away.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any more help," she said as she turned and floated away.

"No!" Dane said. Helena turned slowly to meet his eyes. "Thank you for all of your help."

Helena watched Dane walk away and disappear out of the Ravenclaw common room. She thought of what it used to feel like; to have your heart thrum against your chest in worry.

She wasn't quite sure she could remember the exact feeling.

* * *

The time Catherine had made it to the hospital wing, she was completely out of breath. She'd gotten up early to meet Kayla for their normal Sunday study session, but Kayla had been absent. Annoyed and slightly worried, she had scoured the Great Hall and had trekked all the way up to the fifth floor to the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room. Although she knew she wouldn't be allowed in, she searched for a doorknob or keyhole but remembered there wasn't one. The bronze knocker on the door in the shape of an eagle produced a riddle for Catherine to solve. Even though Catherine had answered correctly, the door would still not open. Obviously recognizing that she was not a Ravenclaw.

Just as she cursed under her breath and began the long trek down the tower, the door opened. "Can I help you?" Asked a soft voice.

Catherine turned on her heel to find Padma Patil, who looked extremely concerned. Her eyes caught sight of Catherine's Slytherin sweater and wrinkled her nose ever so slightly.

"I'm looking for my friend, Kayla. Have you seen her?"

Padma's eyes widened. "She um... had a sort of fit last night and became very ill. I escorted her down. I believe Professor Snape came and fetched her. She's most likely in the hospital wing."

Padma hadn't even finished speaking as Catherine leapt down the stairs as fast as she could muster, almost knocking down a few sleepy Ravenclaws that were making their way up from breakfast.

Catherine thought of the events of what had happened in the Room of Requirement and how she'd seen glimpses of Kayla's vision. Obviously, her friend was in the hospital wing for something related to the visions. Catherine burst through the doors of the hospital wing, slamming them against the stone walls.

Madam Pomfrey, who was tending to another ill student, opened her mouth in shock.

"Excuse me, Miss Delaney but-"

"Is Kayla Roth here?"

Madam Pomfrey's mouth fell into a hard line as she glanced across the room at another student asleep on her side.

"Now listen, she needs her rest right now..."

"-I need to see her now!" Shouted Catherine as she shoved past Madam Pomfrey. Much to her surprise, she found her own Head of House, Professor Snape, sitting in a chair beside her best friend. Kayla did not stir from the commotion. Her face was an alarming shade of grey. Madam Pomfrey handed Catherine a thick blanket.

"If you're going to visit, you may as well make use of yourself. Cover her up with this. I can't seem to get her warm."

Catherine covered Kayla up with the thick, wooly blanket. She wasn't sure which part of this whole situation shocked her more. The fact that her best friend was motionless and unconscious in bed, or that Professor Snape was asleep beside her bed, propped up in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest. His head hung downward, his black hair obscuring his face. It was quite the sight.

Madam Pomfrey filled up a glass of water and set it beside Professor Snape. Then, she crossed over the other side of the bed, clutched Kayla's arm and felt for her pulse.

"What happened to her?" Catherine asked, dazed.

"She had some sort of fit last night. Professor Snape spoke to her due to Professor Flitwick's absence, and according to him, she collapsed in his office. I don't know much more than that."

Catherine swallowed hard, "And she's been asleep since then?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed heavily, unsure of how much information she should divulge. "She began screaming and convulsing violently. I gave her a sleeping draught in order to calm her. I'm hoping when she wakes up, she will be feeling better. But now she needs her rest."

Catherine felt her eyes sting as she fought back tears. Her eyes drifted from her friend to Professor Snape. An unexplained welling of anger began to take hold in her.

"Why is Professor Snape here?"

Madam Pomfrey turned away from her, "I'm not at liberty to say at this-"

"WHY IS HE HERE?" She shouted.

Professor Snape stirred from his slouched position and then stood abruptly. "Miss Delaney..."

"Why are you here?" Catherine said slowly, enunciating each word.

Snape opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the door to the hospital wing was thrust open with another loud thud. Draco Malfoy, stood in the doorway, his face as pale as a ghost.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Shouted Madam Pomfrey. "That's it! I will not have students barging in here like this. These students need their rest! Now, out!"

But Malfoy did not move. He simply stood in the doorway, his hand holding one of the heavy doors open as he stared intensely at Professor Snape. Catherine looked from Draco to Snape, trying to understand what was being said between the two.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said quietly, "Please wait for me, outside."

Draco swallowed hard and blinked, his eyes glassy. Snape glanced over to where Catherine stood and then to Kayla for a moment before he turned and exited. Snape looked down at Kayla for a moment, the emotion in his face was difficult to read. He shot Catherine a venomous look before he followed Malfoy out of the hospital wing.

Catherine sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her friend.

 _She looks so pitiful,_ Catherine thought.

Moments later, Dane appeared. Not wanting to get scolded from Madam Pomfrey again, Catherine stood and crossed the room as fast as she could. She grabbed the sleeve of his jumper and led him out of the hospital wing before he could utter a single syllable.

"This is your fault!" Catherine exclaimed. Dane's eyes widened. "How the bloody hell is this my fault?! I don't even know what's happened!"

Catherine could not hold back the rage she felt inside of her. She pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at him. But Dane did not respond with the same action. Instead, he held up both hands in defense.

"Catherine, I don't even know what's happened to her! If you'd just-"

"It's from what happened the other night! Your weird psychic connection pushed her over the edge! You were the one that wanted to see what happened when you touched! And we _both_ know it's just because you just wanted to get weird and freaky on her and touch her!"

Dane's face turned a blazing shade of scarlet. Catherine knew she had gone too far but she didn't care.

"You shouldn't have pushed her! You forced her to try that and now she's sick! It's all your fault!"

Dane said nothing. Catherine took this as an admission of guilt. "What did you do to her?!" She shouted, her voice cracking as she fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

Dane felt his heart hammering in his chest. He watched as Catherine covered her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered. "I don't know what's happened, but I'm sorry."

Dane fell to one knee and grabbed Catherine's wrists to move them away from her face, but she tore them away from his grasp.

"Don't touch me!"

Dane sighed. "Please, just tell me what happened."

After Catherine had filled Dane in on what she knew, they both sat in silence for several minutes, digesting the information. They were sitting on some steps outside, overlooking the Forbidden Forest. Catherine leaned forward and rested her forehead against the palm of her hand.

Dane inhaled deeply before saying, "Something must have happened. Something terrible."

Catherine gawked, "Thanks for that one. Did you get that from tea leaves? Did you need a crystal ball to see that one?"

Dane stood suddenly and looked down at Catherine, "No. I don't need a crystal ball to see that something terrible has happened to our friend. And I hope you don't talk like that in front of her! What people like us don't need is someone mocking our abilities. It only causes us to hide them and put them away and then they become more dangerous, and then things happen like this!"

Catherine stood up on the step so she was slightly taller than Dane, "You're saying this is my fault?! I never once made her feel horrible about her abilities!"

"Then maybe you need to control your temper so you don't say things like that!"

The sound of Dane's words made Catherine's ears ring. Before Dane could utter another word, Catherine pulled out her wand and shouted, " _Flipendo_ ," knocking Dane onto the grass below.

"I'm not going to fight you!" Dane shouted, "We both care about her and are fighting for the _same_ thing!"

 _He cares about her?_

The notion ricocheted in Catherine's head. Dane's face began to turn a slight shade of pink as he realized what he had said.

"I know what it's like to be alone." He was staring at the ground now. "I know what it's like to feel surrounded by family or friends and still feel like you're the only person in the whole world." He wiped his nose, which had begun to bleed slightly, "I know that whatever is going on right now is much bigger than you and me. It's much bigger than everything else right now. And if we want to solve anything that's going on, we need to work _together_."

Several moments of silence drifted between the two. Dane brushed off his trousers and wiped his nose again before he began walking up the steps.

Catherine stood in silence, staring out at the Forbidden Forest. She knew he was right. And that pissed her off even more.

She inhaled deeply before following Dane up the steps. She flourished her wand again, muttering " _Reparo,_ " under her breath. Dane felt a tug as a hole that had ripped in the sleeve of his jumper began to mend itself.


	20. Revelations and Secrets Revealed

Severus Snape stood beside Kayla's bed, his arms crossed over his chest. Madam Pomfrey watched from afar for a moment before she began tending to another student.

Lightning flashed outside and Snape looked out the window, watching the rain fall against the glass. Thunder rumbled throughout the castle and lightning continued to flash violently. He looked down at the small sixth year student, who lay completely unconscious. She had not moved since he and Madam Pomfrey had placed her limp body, unconscious from sleeping draught, onto the bed.

Suddenly, there was another flash of lightning and Kayla's features suddenly changed. For but a moment, Kayla's dark hair had turned a fiery red, her face light. Snape flinched and stepped back away from the bed.

Madam Pomfrey paced over to the bedside and pulled down Kayla's sheets. "Professor, if you wouldn't mind, would you help me in turning her over?"

Snape stood motionless, staring down at Kayla.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, "Professor please... I need your help in turning her over on her other side."

Just now registering her words, Snape stared at Madam Pomfrey blankly. Madam Pomfrey put one hand on Kayla's hips and the other on her leg.

"Just place a hand on her shoulder and back," she instructed. Snape silently obeyed and helped move Kayla to her other side. Kayla did not stir while they moved her. Snape grabbed at the lump of blankets and placed them back over Kayla.

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "I've never seen you like this, Professor." There was perhaps a hint of teasing in her tone. But Snape did not react. Instead, he sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"Well, if you're going to sit here again tonight, you might as well drink this," she handed him a bottle of Pumpkin Juice.

Snape stared down at the bottle in his hand for a moment, then set it down on the small table beside the bed.

"Alert me if she wakes up," he said sternly. Snape then crossed room and exited the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey brushed some hair away from Kayla's face, "You've a lot of fans at this school. I hope you know that." She said softly.

Snape paced down the hallway before coming to a sudden stop. He thought of what he had just seen and then to a few nights before when his student had collapsed.

When Kayla had touched the diary her eyes had rolled into the back of her head. She lurched forward and fell out of her chair. She moved violently and as she spoke, her voice changed.

"' _Thought we we were supposed to be friends? Best friends_?'" She croaked, her eyes a terrifying milky white. She moved violently again, "' _We are, Sev..._ '"

Snape moved back in shock, his back colliding with a table behind him.

Kayla fell violently against the floor of the dungeon writhing. "' _Please no... take me instead!'_ "

Kayla had gripped the diary so hard, her knuckles had turned white as she convulsed. Snapping out of his shock, Snape lurched forward and tore the diary out of her grip. The convulsions began to slowly ease. He threw the diary into his desk and locked the cabinet. When he turned, Kayla was upright, floating a few inches above the ground, her hands at her throat, her eyes wide and still milky white.

"I knew you were coming for me," she said hoarsely, "But I possess no magic, no measurable talent for..."

Her body shook back and forth as if someone were strangling her.

Snape crossed the room, his wand extended, but completely at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, Kayla dropped to the floor, her body limp.

He walked slowly over to her. As he knelt down, she jerked toward him so she was staring right at him.

"Sophia..." She cried. Another wave of convulsions took her and she screamed.

It wasn't but a moment later that Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore had entered the room.

The ringing of bells brought Snape back to the corridor as rain pelted the windows and thunder rumbled.

* * *

Dane and Catherine had spent the evening after classes in the library. Dane was flipping through pages of the _Confronting the Faceless_ , the book he had purchased in Hogsmeade. They sat quietly together, only every so often, pointing out something that might be relevant to helping their friend.

Catherine sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair. Dane watched her for a moment. He bit his lower lip and sighed, "You don't like me, do you?"

Catherine rolled her eyes, "I hardly think we need to be talking about that right now," she whispered.

Dane continued to stare at her, squinting slightly. "I just wanted to know-"

"I don't like anyone who likes Kayla, okay?"

Dane blinked as Catherine flipped a page of her book violently and continued to read.

"When I said I liked her, I meant..."

"I know what you meant!" She snapped. "I'm not stupid." She lowered her voice and leaned her chin onto her fist, never looking away from her book.

"I see the way you look at her."

Dane felt his cheeks grow hot and he stared down at the book in front of him, not reading a word of it. He cleared his throat.

"You know, when Kayla gets better we should go out. All three of us. Halloween is around the corner and-"

" _If_ she gets better," Catherine corrected.

Dane placed a hand on top of Catherine's. She tried to move it away, but Dane held it steadfast. "She will. I promise you she will."

* * *

Kayla sat up in bed very suddenly and out of breath. Madam Pomfrey almost came out of her skin and quickly ran to Kayla's bedside.

"Sit still, dear."

Sweat poured down Kayla's face and her pajamas were soaked with sweat. Her throat stung and all of her muscles ached. A student aide came to Madam Pomfrey's side.

"Please fetch Professor Snape for me."

Kayla looked around, startled by her surroundings. Madam Pomfrey tried to calm her and poured her a tonic for her to drink.

Moments later, Professor Snape had entered the infirmary. He stood at the end of Kayla's bed, his mouth slightly agape.

"Please dear, sit back and drink this. You need to rest."

Kayla moved, following Madam Pomfrey's instructions, but her muscles felt heavy and sore and she winced in pain.

"Can you please leave Miss Roth and I alone for a moment?"

Madam Pomfrey's expression was filled with exasperation, "Most certainly not! She's just woken up, she needs-"

"-She needs to speak with _me_." Snape said, sternly.

Madam Pomfrey scoffed at him. "I'm speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this. This is out of line!"

When she had gone, Snape crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Kayla.

Kayla grabbed at the sheets and instinctively pulled them closer to her chest.

"How much do you know?" He asked.

"I don't-"

" _How much_ do you know?" He asked again.

Kayla's face had been filled with confusion and fear, but seconds later, she was still and completely composed.

She stared straight at Professor Snape, taking in his image. The observations she had made the other night in his office; the tight fitting, buttoned up cloak. The long sleeves. Dressed always in black. His hair hanging over his face. Everything made sense now.

"I saw her." She said, simply.

Snape said nothing, but his mouth fell slightly open and his eyes drifted to the floor, his hands falling to his sides.

"I will say nothing of this. I swear to it." Kayla promised. Snape winced, "And what do you want in return?"

"Nothing."

" _Nothing_ ," he returned plainly. Kayla stared back without saying a word.

Professor Snape blinked and uncrossed his arms. He tilted his head up slightly while never breaking eye contact from her. Normally, his student seemed apprehensive, quiet and unassuming. Now, however, she seemed as if her entire being were filled with some sort of knowledge that she could not unlearn. Thoughts began racing through his head as he thought of the repercussions this could cause. This one student, this small, unassuming teenager could send ripples through everything. She could create a wake that could destroy all that he had been working for.

 _How much does she know?_

 _Did she know just what he'd written in his diary? Or did she know more? Who was Sophia?_

He'd been careful not to detail too much in his diary, just in case he had been found out. Severus Snape knew that he couldn't afford risks. He felt a chill crawl down his spine as he thought of risks he had taken in his past. The consequences had been severe and something he could never take back. They had become his penance. His atonement.

But this young woman was much more than she appeared. She was a powerful Seer, that much was certain. Snape wondered if Kayla knew how powerful she was. Certainly, Professor Dumbledore would need to know more. She would need protection from the Dark Lord and his followers who were seeking her out. Snape crossed his arms over his chest again as they glared at each other in silence. He was turning her over and over in his head. She could be a threat to him, to Dumbledore and the overall plan, depending on how much she knew. However, she also was vulnerable and needed protection.

"I need to ask you something..." He started, moving closer to her. But before he could say another word, Kayla grabbed him by the wrist. He felt a wave of warmth wash over him, as if he'd been doused with warm water. He flinched in response and gasped.

Kayla stared at him, her grip tight on his wrist. He was immobilized.

"You're afraid..." She said, clenching her jaw.

She gripped his wrist even more tightly, pulling him closer to her. "You're afraid I'll betray you and your secret. But your secret with who?"

Snape could feel her flitting through him like pages of a book. He could feel her fingers sifting through his thoughts.

"Your secrets with Dumbledore, with Draco Malfoy? With the _Dark Lord_?"

"Stop!" Snape muttered, his eyes closed.

Suddenly, the sifting and and flitting stopped. A sense of warmth and comfort came over him and he opened his eyes.

"You'll do no harm," Kayla said simply.

 _Was it a question?_

Snape tried again to pull away, but Kayla pulled his wrist back toward her.

"I will not betray you, Professor Snape. And you will not betray those whom you trust most ardently."

Snape's expression softened.

"You will not betray Dumbledore, you will not break your Vow..." She pulled him closer, "And you will not betray Lily."

Snape jerked his wrist away from her. He felt something break between them. The warmth that he felt dissipated immediately. His throat stung and his eyes had become glassy with tears. He quickly cleared his throat and blinked them away.

Snape walked out of the room as quickly as possible, his black cloak billowing behind him. He brushed past Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey just as they walked through the doors to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey gasped at his sudden exit as Dumbledore turned to look at the sixth year student who was sitting up in bed. She stared at him without expression, until a wave of exhaustion passed over her and she slumped in bed, unconscious.

Professor Snape slammed the door to his office, paced over to his desk and knocked several papers and bottles onto the floor. He collapsed into his chair and put his face in his hands.

 _You will not betray Dumbledore, you will not break your Vow... -And you will not betray Lily."_

Snape leaned back in his chair, and stared at the drawer of his desk that contained his diary. He unbuttoned his sleeve and pulled it down slightly. The white scar that had formed over his hand when he had made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy, appeared even more pronounced than it had in recent days. It burned slightly and he winced as he pulled his sleeve back down.

Snape pulled out his wand, unlocked his drawer and set his diary on the desk in front of him.

" _Incendio_ ," he mumbled softly, as he watched his diary burn and crinkle, until it was nothing but a pile of ash before him.


	21. Halloween and The Room of Hidden Things

Several days had passed since Catherine had been allowed to see Kayla in the infirmary. Halloween was now upon Hogwarts and Catherine had been excited for her and Kayla's annual Halloween party after their feast in the Great Hall. However, that now seemed very unlikely to happen. Both Dane and Catherine had spent every evening after classes in the library searching for ways to help their friend. But how were they to know how to help her if they didn't know what was wrong with her? Dane had spent many an evening bringing this problem up to Catherine, who, in her frustration, would just shoo him away with her hand. She knew that there was a good chance that they couldn't help Kayla in whatever state she was currently in. Or that rather, whatever had stricken her could not be found simply in books.

"What if we-" Dane started, his voice eager and full of hope. "-NO." Catherine replied, sharply. She knew he was going to ask again about speaking with Professor Trelawney about Kayla's condition. Many of the professors however, looked down on Professor Trelawney. Catherine wasn't sure if she believed in Professor Trelawney, but she also did not want to risk outing Kayla's condition.

"But she's a Seer as well. Don't you see, if we talk to her, perhaps she will be able to help her and I understand what is going on. I've never experienced what you said Madam Pomfrey described. I've never convulsed and fallen to the floor. I've never lost control the way she has."

"You almost ran off the Astronomy tower because you thought you saw your sister." Catherine deadpanned. Dane flushed slightly.

"Sh...She told you about that, then?"

Catherine turned back to her book and flipped the page. It was true. The answers were probably not in any book they could get their hands on. Either in the library they could access or the restricted section. The entire situation scared Catherine to the bone. But she couldn't let it show and certainly not to Dane Blackwood.

"Hi-ya, Catherine!" Whispered Neville Longbottom as he walked by their table. And definitely not to Neville Longbottom. He looked at Dane momentarily with suspicion and decided to keep on walking. Dane shook his head. "That was strange."

"You keep causing me more and more problems the longer I spend time with you," Catherine remarked as she dipped her quill into her inkwell and began writing some notes on a piece of parchment. She scribbled out the initials **S.S.** on her piece of parchment. If Catherine was certain about anything, it was that Professor Snape was somehow involved in this whole mess. Perhaps it was he that had triggered Kayla's episode. While Catherine did trust her head of House, there was always something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She about him sitting next to Kayla's bedside, fast asleep. Why had he been sitting there? Had he been protecting her? Perhaps Kayla had told him her secret and knowing how deadly it was, figured that it was best to guard her and consult Professor Dumbledore. But then again, perhaps not. Professor Snape was a favorite amongst many of the darker witches and wizards that attended Hogwarts. There had been whispers of his loyalty to Dumbledore and whether he had allegiance to a more darker side. There was a chance that he was watching over her and had more malevolent intentions.

"Any chance Madam Pomfrey will let us visit her tonight?" Dane asked, breaking Catherine from her thoughts. Catherine shook her head, pulling herself back to the present.

"Probably not. Madam Pomfrey's pretty strict. I think perhaps if we-"

There was a loud thud as a knapsack fell onto the table in front of them. Both Catherine and Dane jumped. Kayla pulled out a chair and sat down without saying a word.

Catherine and Dane both stared with their mouths open. A million questions all coming to their minds at once. Kayla not only looked better than she had the night before, she looked very well. Where her face had appeared grey a few days before, it now had resumed a healthy shade. Her curly hair loose and extra curlier than normal.

Kayla sighed, folded her hands and stared at Catherine. "We have a lot to talk about."

Catherine threw her quill down, splattering ink all over her notes. "You're bloody right we do!"

Dane sat in silence, his mouth agape. He reached over for Kayla's hand but she moved it away from him. "No." She said flatly.

Dane pulled his hand back as if he'd been struck. He wanted to know what she was feeling, if she was okay, and maybe even get a glimpse at what she had gone through. But Kayla was right, this probably wasn't the time nor the place.

"You better start bloody explaining what the ruddy hell happened the other night!" Nearby, a student shushed her.

"Shut it, Finnegan!" She shouted.

Seamus Finnegan turned to a student beside him, "Did you hear what she said? Those Slytherins are all piss and vinegar if you ask me."

Catherine drew her wand and flourished it, but Kayla was quicker and blocked the spell from reaching Seamus. Catherine stared at Seamus with pure venom, while he sat frozen in fear.

"Please Catherine. This is not the time. I need to talk to you both." Catherine sighed and sat back down. A few moments of silence drifted between them as the situation calmed and Seamus Finnegan walked away, muttering, "Bloody lost her mind."

"Are... Are you okay? I mean I heard that you had quite the episode." Dane's tone was softer.

Kayla leaned in, "After the Halloween feast tonight, I'll tell you what I know. But for now, there are many things that I need to keep to myself."

Catherine looked down at her paper where she had scribbled Snape's initials. She slowly covered her notation up with her arm.

"I don't understand," Catherine said, her tone calmer, her voice much more subdued than moments before. "Just a few days ago you were unconscious. You looked dead or as if you'd gone somewhere far away where you couldn't return-"

"-Could be some sort of astral projection," Dane interjected.

Catherine put up a hand to signal Dane to stop talking. Dane sighed out of frustration and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm just saying that now you seem fine. Completely fine. It's spooky."

Dane reached his hand out and placed it on Kayla's arm, careful to not touch her skin.

"It's not 'spooky' per se. Nothing that happened to you is completely unheard of when it comes to Seers but it also is strange at the same time. Not you, uh, not specifically you. But the situation. I mean…"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "She's knows what I mean, Dane. She knows I don't mean _she's_ spooky."

Dane leaned back in his chair, somewhat bruised from the comment.

Kayla turned and grabbed the sleeve of Dane's sweater.

"I know what you mean. I completely understand." Her eyes shifted to Catherine. "I know what both of you mean."

Dane's cheeks turned a slight tinge of pink. But when he looked up into Kayla's eyes he saw something else. Where she had seemed so doe-eyed before, where a sense of unknowing had lingered, there was now knowledge. A deep sense of knowledge lingered in her presence. He wasn't sure if it made him feel at ease or nervous.

"I was also thinking," Kayla said, folding her hands back on the table. She breathed deeply, knowing the response she would get in return.

"That we postpone our annual Halloween party and celebrate it on Saturday."

Catherine's mouth fell open, "Postpone it?! Are you kidding me? We've celebrated our own Halloween together since first year! We've been doing this for how long? We can't postpone it! You can't postpone Halloween!"

"I understand that. But I think we should do our own thing in Hogsmeade on Saturday. Today's Thursday and I have homework to do. I caught up as much as I could while in the hospital wing, but I have a test for Professor Snape tomorrow and-"

"I'm sure he's more than willing to let you make it up," Catherine quipped, sarcasm in her tone.

Kayla reached across the table and touched the top of Catherine's hand, which caused Catherine to sigh.

"Catherine, I know you're concerned. I know you have suspicions…"

Dane watched the exchange between the two friends and felt a pang of jealousy in his gut. Kayla's hand on top of Catherine's made him envious. The simple skin to skin contact burned a small fire in him. Catherine was lucky.

"…and I promise to tell you both everything tonight. Meet me in the Room of Requirement tonight. We'll go together after the feast."

* * *

At about half past six, Dane, Catherine, and Kayla met at the Great Hall. The sight always filled both Kayla and Catherine with happiness. There was something about Halloween that filled them with an odd sense of comfort. The hall was decorated with candy-filled pumpkins, apples, black cauldrons of large lollipops, delicious carrot cake. Bats flittered here and there, up into the enchanted ceiling that had been bewitched to look like a thunderstorm to aid in the creepy Halloween-like atmosphere. Orange streamers hung from one side of the hall to the other. There were goblets of coloured sweets, some filled to the brim with pumpkin juice. The Great Hall felt warm and charged with energy. Catherine, who found a spot where the three of them could sit, charged ahead to claim the seat.

Kayla walked faster to join her but Dane caught her by the sleeve of her sweater.

"Remember, it's Halloween. The veil between worlds thins on Halloween. You may feel your senses are heightened. You may feel and see things more vividly."

Kayla arched an eyebrow.

"I've been reading _Confronting the Faceless_ and it said that-"

"-You bought it?!"

Dane ran a hand through his hair, self conscious, "Yeah, I mean I thought it could be useful."

"Are you guys coming or what?" Catherine called from one of the tables.

As they delved into the Halloween feast, Kayla looked up at the end of the Great Hall every so often. Professor Dumbledore was busy enjoying the feast himself and chatting with Professor McGonagall. On the end of the table where the professors sat, Snape was slowly eating, his eyes downcast. He seemed to be avoiding conversation with everyone.

 _I won't tell anyone,_ Kayla thought to herself. As if she had said the words aloud, Snape looked up and directly at her. His face was unreadable.

 _I promise._

* * *

"This doesn't look like the Room of Requirement." Dane said as the wall behind them sealed itself.

Kayla and Catherine walked on as Dane stared around him. The room looked like the Room of Requirement, but it was filled with so many things. It was filled with books, statues, goblets, trinkets, and chairs.

"This is the Room of Hidden Things," Catherine said. "You can still think of it as the Room of Requirement though. It's where things go when they get lost."

"Or if you need to hide something," Kayla added, exchanging glances with Catherine.

Dane caught up to the girls, still staring around him as they weaved in and out of mountains of stuff.

When they had found a quiet corner, hidden tightly away, they sat on the floor. Catherine grabbed a thermos of Butterbeer from her knapsack. She waved her wand and produced three small cups.

"I thought we were going to wait until this weekend."

Catherine smiled, "I thought we needed to kick off Halloween on the actual day and besides, it won't hurt anything to indulge just a little."

Catherine waved her wand and the thermos levitated to each of their cups, filling it to the brim with the frothy drink.

They sipped quietly for a moment before both Catherine and Dane looked at Kayla, waiting for her to speak.

"I want to start off by saying that there are things that I can say and things that I cannot say."

"Does it have to do with Professor Snape?" Catherine asked suddenly.

Kayla sighed, "I can't say certain things because I've made promises and some of what I saw is confidential."

"Start with the night you were taken to Professor Snape's office from Ravenclaw Tower. Did you have a nightmare? We heard you were screaming."

Kayla looked down at her cup for a moment, "I can't remember exactly what I dreamt about. I just remember how it felt. It felt as if I were being sucked down some sort of deep, dark and suffocating hole that I couldn't get out of. I felt like I couldn't breathe. And then I felt this terrible pain. I didn't know I was screaming until I found myself on the floor."

"And you were led to Professor Snape's office."

Kayla nodded and sipped her Butterbeer.

"Did something happen there? Did he do something-"

Kayla shook her head. "No. I mean he didn't do anything exactly. He said he suspected that I'm a Seer and wanted me to prove it."

"And did you?" Dane asked, an edge of concern in his voice.

"I was hesitant at first. He wanted me to touch a book a see what I felt from it. But I insisted on touching some sort of diary that he had on his des."

Catherine chuckled. "Snape has a diary? That's… strange. I don't see Snape writing in a diary."

Kayla rolled her eyes, "Maybe it wasn't a diary. I don't know if it was a book where he just wrote his thoughts down or something. He wouldn't let me touch it. He was angry when I even looked at it."

"What made you trust him?"

Kayla looked over to Dane whose face was somewhat pale.

" _Why_ did you trust him? He could endanger you. You don't know what-"

"-I trust him," Kayla said. "I can't tell you why. I can't tell you what I saw when I touched the diary. There were so many things…"

She looked down at the floor and closed her eyes.

Visions swam before her eyes. She saw young Snape. She felt his loneliness and his isolation. She felt his frustration and anger from being bullied. She felt his heartbreak. And she saw the red-haired girl named Lily running up a hill, looking back at him, a sweet smile on her face. She saw her vanish into a thick darkness and felt Snape's loss.

"It sent me into his mind, into his thoughts. But I can't share those with you. Those are his and his alone. And I can't tell either of you."

"What can you tell us?" Dane asked, his voice filled with frustration.

Kayla looked up at Dane, her heart catching in her throat as she opened her mouth. She needed to tell him. But something was pulling her back.

"I saw… your sister."

Dane's mouth fell open and his eyes widened. He dropped his cup and stood.

"Where is she? Where did you see her? Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

Kayla closed her eyes, "I don't know where she is…"

Dane leapt toward Kayla and shook her shoulders. "What did you see? What did it look like?"  
Catherine pulled him off of her but Dane shoved her off.

"Where's Sophia?! Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

Kayla looked up at Dane, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know where she is. It was dark. All I know is she is alive. She's been captured by some man, I couldn't see his face… And Bellatrix Lestrange."

Catherine and Dane stared at Kayla in shock, "Lestrange?" Catherine said the name as if it tasted sour in her mouth.

Kayla nodded.

"How could you not tell me sooner?" Dane exclaimed. "If she's hurt or scared or-"

"She has powers," Kayla explained. "She has some sort of power. I'm not sure what. It was hard to see. All I could do was feel it. It was a warm feeling." Kayla reached and touched her own shoulder blades.

"Something came from her back."

Dane was confused. He began pacing back and forth for several moments before he stopped.

"Show me." He said suddenly, reaching out his hand.

"Wait," Catherine said, her voice filled with concern. But Kayla stood, her eyes transfixed on Dane. Dane felt a sense of uneasiness fill him. Kayla's eyes were filled with a powerful sense of knowing that made him fearful.

Kayla reached out and grasped his hand tightly.

Dane felt as if he had been sucked into a vortex. He was being whipped around in different directions.

Catherine watched in awe as Kayla stood, completely composed, her hand wrapped tightly around Dane's. Dane trembled until his entire body was shaking and sweat began pouring down his temples.

When she let go of his hand Dane stumbled backward. Tears filled his eyes.

"I need…" He was trembling. "I'm sorry, but I need to be alone for a little while." Dane stood, brushed himself off and walked away."

"Is his sister going to be okay?" Catherine asked.

Kayla shook her head. "I don't know. I know she's alive right now."

Catherine grasped Kayla by the shoulders, "How can you be so blasé about this? All of this is happening and you're acting like everything is fine and dandy. I don't get it! If you're mad or afraid, tell me!"

"Don't you see," Kayla said, her face still completely composed. "I understand it now. Sometimes I see the past, sometimes the present and future. I can see better now. I think I'm understanding my abilities better than before."

Catherine looked away.

"What?"

Catherine shook her head, "I don't know if this has to do with anything. But the night you were in the hospital wing when I came to visit, Snape was asleep by your bed. I thought it was suspicious. But then Draco came in and he gave Snape this look. I thought that maybe he was in on something."

Kayla thought about this for a moment. _The Vow…_

She had seen Draco in the vision. She knew that there had been some sort of Unbreakable Vow between Draco's mother and Snape, but the details had not been there. Perhaps Snape was protecting Draco from something terrible.

"I think there's something going on between them. Maybe we could find out."

Could Kayla tell Catherine about the Unbreakable Vow? Or should she keep that to herself?

Suddenly, there was a crumbling noise and the sound of the wall closing up from far away.

"Is that Dane coming back?" Catherine asked, collecting her things. The girls peeked around the corner. There were footsteps coming closer to them.

"Hurry! Stand over here!" Catherine whispered.

The footsteps got louder before they seemed to walk in a different direction. Kayla and Catherine walked slowly toward the direction of the footsteps. They peered from behind another corner. Draco Malfoy was standing before what appeared to be a large piece of furniture with some sort of rug over it.

They watched silently as he pulled it off, revealing a large cabinet.

He ran a hand down the length of it and put his head against it. He seemed to be whispering to it.

"Heh," Catherine whispered, "Is he going to snog it or what?"

Draco stood back from he cabinet and tilted his head down. He began mumbling something quietly.

Catherine moved away from Kayla, closer to Draco. Kayla watched Catherine, her heart hammering in her chest. Catherine listened for a moment before she walked quietly back to where Kayla was hiding.

"Let's go," she whispered.

The two girls slipped out of the Room of Hidden Things as quickly as they could.

Draco Malfoy stood before the large cabinet, his eyes closed.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus…" he whispered. "Harmonia Nectere Passus."


	22. Late Night in Slytherin Common Room

The Slytherin common room glowed a soft green in the early hours of Friday morning. Outside the thick glass windows, the churning of the Black Lake could be heard and sometimes, if one listened closely, the croon of some unidentified creature. The common room was silent and still in the wee hours, making it an excellent place to think. Catherine was curled up in an armchair, her father's astronomy textbook in her lap. She held a cup of tea in her hands and stared blankly into the fire. There were so many things that weren't adding up. She was starting to think she should begin writing down a list.

She thought of how quickly Kayla had recovered from her illness, of Malfoy in the Room of Hidden Things. There were so many things that just weren't adding up. There were so many details missing. She wondered about Dane and his storming off. What trouble was his sister truly in? Was Kayla seeing the future, the past or the present? Perhaps all of these questions would have answers in the near future. For now, there was another reason for her staying up so late.

Catherine listened to the hypnotic sounds of the lake outside of the Slytherin dormitory and closed her eyes. When Catherine had witnessed the reaction between Dane and Kayla in the Room of Requirement, a shuffling of images had flashed before her eyes. One of them was her, floating weightless in the Black Lake. While most would be terrified to be floating in the unknown depths of the lake, Catherine felt a call to it and imagined that the feeling would be freeing. It had been a fleeting moment that she had seen either Kayla or Dane's vision of herself floating in the lake. She wasn't sure if it dictated her future and if it meant something with her death. Neither Dane or Kayla had mentioned the vision. Catherine had wondered if neither Kayla or Dane had seen it and perhaps it was something just for her. So far she had kept the vision to herself. With her eyes closed, the fire crackling in the fireplace nearby, Catherine listened to the churning of the water outside. She imagined herself floating, at peace, completely weightless. It hadn't seemed like a vision that warned her of something insidious. Rather, it felt as if it were just an image of utter peacefulness. She needed to ask Kayla about the vision and if she had seen it too, but for now, there were so many other things that needed answering.

The sound of shuffling footsteps came from outside the common room. The door opened with a squeak and then was shut softly. Catherine watched as Malfoy walked slowly into the common room, completely oblivious to her presence. Even in the dim light, she could tell that his eyes were tinged red and there were dark circles beneath them.

"You're in late." Catherine said softly, causing Malfoy to jump in surprise.

"Dammit Delaney!" He clutched a hand to his chest. Catherine smirked slightly. Had she ever seen Draco Malfoy frightened? Or even surprised? She had seen him amused by unpleasant thoughts, bemused by the likes of Harry Potter when something didn't go his way, and elated when Slytherin had scored points or Gryffindor had been deducted points. But Draco Malfoy's emotions always came with a caveat. There were always certain conditions that came with his reactions or responses.

Malfoy sat on the other side of the room, close to the fire and held his head in his hands. He breathed deeply in and out. Catherine watched silently, not wanting to say another word. He needed to say something first.

When Malfoy looked up, his face appeared damp. Catherine was unsure if he was sweating or whether he had been crying. But she was almost certain that the likes of Draco Malfoy would never be caught crying in front of another person.

"You come from a pure-blood family, right Delaney?" Malfoy asked, as he looked away from the fire and right at Catherine. This was not the particular direction Catherine wanted the conversation to go, but she would play along.

"Yes, my family is pure-blood as far back as we know."

Malfoy chewed on this, his eyes staring at the floor for a moment. Catherine watched as Draco's grey eyes scanned downward, as if he were looking for an answer on stone floor or on the large rug nearby.

"And you'd do anything they asked you to do, right?"

Catherine closed her book and placed it carefully beside her. When she did not immediately answer, Draco looked up at her. His eyes were not filled with malice. Catherine eyed him carefully. She knew Kayla would know what he was feeling.

"I'd do anything for them," she responded, her voice just above a whisper.

Malfoy nodded, digesting this information before he stood to leave.

"Draco..." Catherine wasn't sure if she should go beyond this. But she needed to press him further. If not, she would be exhausted and sleeping through Herbology tomorrow with Neville prodding her awake all class for no reason at all.

Malfoy stared blankly at her. She couldn't read him.

"If you need to talk to someone, I'm sure-"

"-That girl you always hang out with..." He paused for a moment, though Catherine was sure that Malfoy knew her name. He was just saving face.

"The Ravenclaw. Kayla Roth." His voice cracked. "I was wondering if I could talk to her."

Catherine instantly felt her muscles begin to tense. " _Why?_ " She asked bluntly. She wasn't sure if she was offended that he wouldn't talk to her, or worried that he knew Kayla's secret.

Never had she seen Draco look so defeated, "I think she could understand."

Catherine breathed in and out carefully. They were getting closer. There was no way she could stop now. Kayla knew the consequences and what could happen. She was willing to take the risks. Catherine knew she had to be brave.

"I could tell her you want to talk to her."

Malfoy looked up abruptly. "If you want." Catherine finished. Malfoy looked conflicted. He rubbed the back of his head and looked around him, as if worried someone might be listening to their conversation. Which was a tad ridiculous since it was nearly 3:30 in the morning.

"Never mind," He said finally, before turning toward the boys' dormitory. He vanished without another word.

Catherine smiled to herself as she picked up her father's book and held it against her chest. The croon of the creature in the Black Lake reverberated against the stone walls. The sound of the water outside was lulling and beckoning her to sleep. As she walked to the girls' dormitory and found her bed, she smiled to herself. Draco Malfoy had given her everything and nothing.


	23. The Dangers of Amortentia

When Kayla arrived to Potion's class, she was relieved to find the room empty. Professor Slughorn had not yet arrived. She set up her cauldron, placed her small box of ingredients on the table, and opened her Potion's book and began going over the potion they would be practicing that day. Professor Slughorn had prefaced last class that they would begin working on Amortentia. He had students volunteer to approach the brew he had already concocted and inhale the scent that emanated from it. Kayla had felt her cheeks begin to warm as she thought about being picked on. Scent, especially when it came to attraction, was deeply personal. It just seemed odd to confess something so intimate to a classroom full of people. But before anyone could be called upon, class had ended. Slughorn had raised a finger and an eyebrow and promised that during the following class, someone would indeed volunteer or be called upon.

To distract herself from the impending embarrassment, she flipped through her copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ by Libatius Borage until she came to the chapter on Amortentia. It was definitely an advanced level potion. From what she read about it, upon completion of the potion, it should have a mother-of pearl sheen to it. The steam should be spiraling, and of course, the scent varied on what the person liked or happened to be attracted to. It was regarded as powerful and highly dangerous, as Slughorn had prefaced in the previous class. Despite the power the potion held, it would not create actual love. That would be utterly impossible. It would however, manufacture obsession for the person who would administer it. At least until the potion wore off.

Kayla scanned over the ingredients and continued on reading the description and side effects of the potion. As she read on, she wrinkled her nose. Why would anyone want to administer this to someone in the first place? It was vile to take away someone's free will, even for a short amount of time, and force them to be obsessed with another.

"Bloody hell..." She scoffed under her breath. Suddenly, the thud of the heavy wooden door to the classroom slammed shut. Kayla had expected to see Professor Slughorn. She already had a list of questions for him on why students should learn how to brew something so dangerous. Instead, however, Professor Snape stood on the opposite side of the classroom, staring at her blankly.

They both seemed just as surprised to see one another. They hadn't spoken since the night in the hospital wing and even now, Kayla could sense Snape's discomfort as his light skin became even more pale.

"Miss Roth, Potion's doesn't begin for another half hour. You should not be in a classroom unsupervised." His tone seemed to bounce back and forth between his usual malice and a state Kayla could only describe as concern.

"Professor Slughorn told us that if we wanted to come in early to get a head start or to review the current lesson, we were free to do so."

Snape smirked, "Professor Slughorn trusts too easily. There are ingredients here that students should not have access to anytime they wish."

Snape crossed the room and approached a jar of Flobberworm mucus when suddenly, there was loud spark and pop when he tried to open the jar.

Kayla smiled and pointed with her quill. "Professor Slughorn has protective spells on all the jars." Snape looked down at his hand. His thumb and forefinger now bore an angry red burn from the protective spell. "Clearly," he said.

Kayla opened her box of ingredients and rifled through the various glass bottles and jars. She sifted through the box until she came to a small jar of orange paste. When she walked over and approached Snape, he backed away from her.

Kayla sighed and tossed the jar to him, "Fine, put it on yourself then."

Snape eyed Kayla suspiciously for a moment as she took her seat back at her table and flipped through her textbook. He turned away from her and applied the Burn-healing paste to his hand.

Kayla was writing down notes from her book when Snape set the jar down beside her. "Not a bad healing paste."

Was that a compliment? With Snape's tone, it didn't seem like a compliment.

Changing the subject, Kayla scanned her textbook with her finger and asked, "Professor, don't you think it's a bit odd to teach students to brew Amortentia?"

"If it is what Professor Slughorn requires you to learn then-"

"It's a love potion, Professor. The effects of the potion are extremely disconcerting. The effects are near instantaneous. It causes the drinker to become pale and sickly. The drinker becomes obsessed with the object of their affections, speaking of them..." she wrinkled her nose and looked up at Snape, "as though they were 'hit by a ray of the purest sunlight.'"

Snape made no expression. But Kayla felt as though she had made a breakthrough with Snape. Even now she could feel as if his strong guard had been lowered slightly. He trusted her now. She would not tell his secrets.

"Did you make this when you attended Hogwarts?" She asked, prodding just a tad further. Snape smirked, "Of course. It's compulsory for sixth year students to learn."

"But you didn't use it on anyone, did you?"

Snape crossed his arms over his chest and immediately Kayla knew she had prodded too far. She didn't mean to imply anything. Truly, she just wanted to build trust.

"Never."

Kayla nodded and returned to writing notes about the potion she would be brewing today. Snape cleared his throat, "You seem to have a knack for Potion's."

Again, was this a compliment? Kayla couldn't tell.

But before she could respond, the door to the classroom opened and in walked Professor Slughorn.

"Ah, Professor. Afternoon to you. I see you're speaking to one of my best and brightest students. Always here early. Always ahead of the class."

Kayla reddened at the compliment and managed a small smile in return.

"Professor, I was wondering if I might borrow some Flobberworm mucus."

Professor Slughorn chuckled and grabbed a spare jar from a table to collect the mucus for Professor Snape, "Brewing a Wiggenweld Potion, are we?"

Snape did not care to share what he was making with the ingredient. He did thank Professor Slughorn before exiting the classroom.

Moments later, Catherine walked into the classroom, her eyes shadowed by dark circles, her mouth slightly agape, and her cheeks tinged with the slightest bit of pink. She glared at Kayla with such frustration and anger that it nearly made Kayla fall out of her chair. But a second later, the reason for Catherine's look came bounding just a few paces behind her.

"...and so I was thinking if you wanted to, and since we're learning about Snargaluff pods in Herbology, we could go together tomorrow. I know that at a certain edge of the forest there's this collection of-"

"Mr. Longbottom," Professor Slughorn interrupted, "Gryffindors don't meet with me today."

This stopped Neville in his tracks. "Sorry Professor, I was just talking to Catherine about Herbology."

Catherine collapsed onto the stool beside Kayla and slammed her head against her Potion's book.

"Sorry Neville, but Catherine and I have plans this weekend." Kayla interjected.

Neville's face fell, "Oh okay, maybe some other time then." He left the classroom, his shoulders hunched over. Just when they both thought he was gone, Neville popped his head back in, "What about next weekend?"

Catherine reached for her wand and flourished it, but Kayla knocked her hand down before any spell could spring forth.

"She'll let you know soon, Neville!" Kayla shouted. This seemed to appease Neville and he left with a smile on his face.

Catherine collapsed onto her book and sighed. "I'm so _tiiiiired!_ "

Kayla checked to see if Professor Slughorn was listening, but found him taking inventory of some of his jars at the back of the classroom, humming merrily to himself. Kayla prodded Catherine's arm and whispered, "What did you find out? Did you catch him last night?"

Catherine looked up, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Yes..." Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment.

"And?"

Catherine jolted awake, "Sorry, yeah. I saw him last night. He came in around 3:30 in the morning. Which means he was probably in the Room of Hidden Things for hours doing Merlin-knows-what with that cabinet."

"What did he say?"

Catherine lowered her voice even more and moved closer to Kayla, "He looked like shit when he came in. Couldn't tell if he was crying or sweating or what. But he asked about my family being pure-blood. He made some sort of allusion to needing to do anything for your family."

"My family?" Kayla asked, confused.

"No, I'm pretty sure he meant his family. Just 'your' as in general."

Kayla nodded. "So he's definitely hiding something."

Catherine moved closer, "He's definitely hiding something. I just have this funny feeling it's connected to so many other things. He seemed... depressed. It was odd. I don't know if I've ever seen him like he was last night. He seemed vulnerable."

Kayla furrowed her brow. The word "vulnerable" and "Malfoy" didn't go together. She thought of the connection of the word to him. Malfoy was known to be a bully, particularly to Harry Potter. He also wasn't nice to anyone who wasn't a pure-blood. Kayla had been around him many times. She had heard his snarky comments to Potter and those who were not pure-blood. Ravenclaw and Slytherin students were particularly competitive, which made her witness to some of his comments as well. But he had never said anything to her out of spite. At least not in front of her.

"He wanted to talk to you."

This jolted Kayla from her thoughts. "Talk to me?"

Catherine nodded, "Yeah it was weird. He said he thought you'd understand."

"Do you think he knows?"

Students had started to enter the classroom and both girls lowered their voices even more.

"I don't know. I really don't think so. I didn't get that feeling from him. But I think you should talk to him. Actually..."

Catherine paused, her eyes scanning the floor for a moment. "I uh, think you should _touch_ him."

As Kayla opened her mouth to protest, Catherine said, "Listen, I know it might not seem like the most pleasant of ideas, but he's hiding something. He wanted to meet with you. I heard Crabbe and Goyle in the hallway talking about how Malfoy was going to Hogsmeade this weekend and how he wanted to go alone. They were complaining about not being invited. -It could be the perfect opportunity to approach him."

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Kayla whispered, "It's not like Draco and I are on touching terms."

Catherine arched an eyebrow, "You're telling me you've never fantasized about Draco Malfoy before?"

Kayla's mouth fell into a hard line, "That's not what I-"

"What about that one time you told me you thought-"

Kayla shushed Catherine so loudly that some of the students nearby looked in their direction, including Dane, who had just walked into the classroom looking very pale and tired. He did not greet either of them. Instead, he plopped his Potion's book on the table and sat down. His blue eyes were extremely clear and glassy today, appearing like shallow pools of water. His hair appeared somewhat darker as well, making his eyes stand out even more. Kayla felt a longing in her chest. She wanted to apologize, find the words that could somehow help mend things between them. But Dane did not look up. Kayla knew that in order to find out what was going on with Draco and to understand the bigger picture, she would indeed need to touch him, if only for a few moments. As if sensing her thoughts, Dane looked up and met her eyes. She would rather touch Dane instead...

Dane looked away suddenly and Kayla felt her cheeks warm. She felt almost certain he had heard her thoughts.

"The only thing," Catherine whispered, breaking Kayla from her daydream, "Is that we have to get him to want to be touched. And from what I've observed, Draco isn't in the habit of touching people often."

Kayla looked down at her textbook and notes, her heart hammering in her chest, "Amortentia..." She replied, feeling sweat begin to form on the back of her neck and in between her shouulder blades.

"What?"

Kayla turned to Catherine, "We'll give him Amortentia. We'll find out what's going on and we'll go from there."

Catherine chewed this over for a moment a smile crept onto her face, "Are you sure you were Sorted correctly?"

Kayla looked up at Dane from across the room. He made no effort to look back at her. "Positive," she replied.

A few minutes later, Professor Slughorn had gathered the class around his cauldron. He opened the lid and spiral shaped steam came billowing from the concoction. The moment Kayla had been dreading had finally come to pass.

"Now, as you know from last class, I mentioned that the potion has a different scent to each person. It will take on the scent of whatever you find most enticing. Who would like to volunteer to tell us what they detect?"

Kayla raised her hand. Slughorn had made a habit of calling on her. It was best now to just get it out of the way. She approached the cauldron slowly until she was only a few feet away. Already she could detect the different scents emanating from the cauldron. She had thought it would be completely disconcerting. Instead, she felt a wave of calm and certainty.

"I smell parchment, like old books..." She said. Each scent made her feel at ease and intoxicated by something she could not put her finger on.

"I also smell cypress, rosewood, and I think maybe... wool?"

Slughorn clapped his hands together, "Very good! Who else would like to give it a go?"

Kayla walked backwards and bumped into Catherine, "You okay?" Catherine asked. Kayla said nothing but nodded.

When no one else volunteered, Slughorn began to lecture on the dangers of Amortentia. Catherine clutched Kayla's sleeve to steady her friend. When she looked up, she saw Dane staring at her friend. He bit his lip slightly and blinked, as if some sort of understanding had fallen over him.

* * *

 **Apologies for the delay in chapters. Hope you're enjoying!**


	24. Doubts and Suspicions

Dane tugged on his black wool sweater before he peered outside of the glass windows of his dormitory. Dark clouds were billowing on the horizon. A front was coming in and with it, a chilly November wind. The boys' dormitory was empty. That night would be the highly anticipated Quidditch game of Gryffindor against Slytherin.

Dane however, had other business to tend to. After walking down the stone steps to the common room, he stared in the direction of the girls' dormitory, half expecting Kayla to walk out the same time as him. But she did not. He felt a familiar flop in his stomach as he recalled her the day before in Potion's. She had seemed out of sorts. Her eyes had flicked over to him from across the room. He had felt a wave of need wash over him. It were as if he could feel her reaching out to him, wanting him close. He shook his head as he headed peered out of the window of the common room, high above the castle grounds. It couldn't be Legilimens. Though he had sometimes the sensation that he could feel thoughts and perhaps even hear them, he wasn't completely sure. He watched as the autumn breeze shuffled leaves about on the ground and then shook the glass panes of the windows.

He so much wanted to be a part of Kayla and Catherine's group. Was it understanding he craved? He knew that Kayla wanted it too. The idea of not being alone in all of this. From what he had gathered, there was more to Kayla than met the eye. Sure, she seemed quiet and sometimes timid. But there was a fire beneath that he had yet to feel the heat from. Had Catherine witnessed the inferno beneath? He was so sure she had. And that Kayla only revealed her true nature to those she trusted.

However much Dane was angry at Kayla for withholding the information about his sister, he had come to the conclusion that it would take the three of them to find her. He had struggled over whether he should tell his parents or not. But there were even more questions burning in his mind now. He wasn't sure he wanted the answers to them. Maybe he just needed to trust others.

"You alright?" Sounded a voice behind him.

Dane turned around to find Roger Davies standing across the room. He was wearing his Quidditch sweater even though he wasn't playing that day. Roger was captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He was normally very focused and poised, but at the moment, he was staring at Dane's hand. Dane hadn't realized he was clutching his wand, his knuckles white from clutching is so hard.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dane said hoarsely. He cleared his throat.

Roger smiled and nodded before leaving the dormitory.

When he had gone, Dane stared down at his wand. It was black walnut. From his knowledge of wands, he knew that black walnut sought a master of good instincts and powerful insight. He scoffed aloud. At the moment he did not feel like anyone with good instincts. But he did have powerful insight. Dane stared at the smoothness of the wand in the light from the window before something caught his eye. It was Kayla. She pulled the hood of her dark cloak over her head a she walked against the breeze.

She was heading in the direction of Hogsmeade. He figured that any moment now, Catherine would appear from behind a tree. From what he could surmise from Potion's yesterday, they were definitely up to something. Perhaps it had something to do with finding his sister. After a few moments, Kayla was out of sight, and still Catherine had not joined her. Dane furrowed his brow. Something was definitely off. He pocketed his wand and rushed out of Ravenclaw common room.

* * *

Kayla grasped the front of her cloak as the wind blew against her back. Every so often she would touch her right pocket to make sure the small vial of Amortentia was still secure. As she walked down dirt road toward Hogsmeade, the words from her Potion's textbook kept bouncing around her head. The cool breeze blew harder at her back. Perhaps this was a sign, she thought. The wind was at her back, pushing her toward Hogsmeade, as if her goal could somehow be validated by the weather. She shook her head. That was illogical of course.

"Amor is the Roman god of love..." she said aloud. "In Latin it literally means 'love', of course." If anyone had come across her, they would probably surmise that she was indeed mad. But talking aloud to herself seemed the only way to rationalize what she was going to do.

"Tentia..." she whispered into the wind. "Latin for the world, 'held'..."

She knew from what Catherine had said after Potion's, that many Slytherin students frequented The Three Broomsticks before a match. She had to hurry. Many of them would be getting an early start to pump themselves up for the match against Gryffindor. Kayla's stomach somersaulted when realized she would most likely be a lone Ravenclaw among a sea of Slytherin students. And this time, she would be without her Slytherin best friend.

Kayla looked behind her, almost expecting Catherine to be running up behind her, fuming. Catherine had been against the whole Put-Amortentia-in-Draco's-Drink plan. Even Kayla had to admit, it went against her morals as well. But this was not something they couldn't fool around with anymore. Draco Malfoy was definitely up to something. It could have to do with Dane's sister. And what was going on with Draco and the cabinet he was muttering to in the Room of Hidden Things.

She patted her pocket again. She would have to find out. Kayla imagined Catherine fuming at the thought that she had left without her, that she was not included in the plan. But it was better that way.

As she walked on, spotting smoke in the distance as she neared Hogsmeade, she thought of the Vow. She had seen Draco in the vision. She needed to find out more about it. What it meant and why Draco's mother had made the Vow with Professor Snape. Suddenly, it struck her that perhaps Draco didn't know about the Vow. She stopped in her tracks, the village of Hogsmeade just half a mile in front of her. She would need to be delicate. She wasn't sure what Draco did or didn't know.

Was putting Amortentia in Draco's drink the right thing to do? Catherine would surely disagree. She knew there were other ways they could get to him. And if Catherine had been with her on the trek to Hogsmeade, these questions would have been raised. But Kayla was almost certain her stubborn friend would have convinced her to turn back, or instead, visit Madam Puddifoot's to discuss a comprehensive list of alternative plans. But it was too late for that now. A moment later, the sky opened up and rain began to fall.

As she walked along the cobble-stoned steps of Hogsmeade, she noticed it was eerily quiet. Maybe she and Catherine had been wrong about the pre-match celebrations in Hogsmeade. Thunder rumbled behind her and as rain began to fall more heavily, she picked up her pace to The Three Broomsticks. But then, something hit her like an electric shock. Kayla stopped as the rain fell more heavily against her and the wind whipped at her cloak. She turned and saw Tommes and Scrolls. Something was tugging at her insides, urging her to enter.

When Kayla pushed open the door to Tommes and Scrolls, the tiny bell above the door tinkled. She immediately looked to the counter, but did not find the cat that had been there before. She closed the door behind her and brushed back the hood of her cloak. The ends of her hair were dripping and she tugged on them to stop them from dripping. Most of the candles that illuminated the bookstore were not lit, which made the bookstore feel even more foreboding and ominous.

As she slowly walked through the bookstore, she could hear soft sound of pages flipping and the sound of someone breathing heavily.

Kayla walked slowly toward the back of the bookstore, careful to not touch any of the bindings of the books on either side of her. Since her episode in Professor Snape's office, her senses had become even more heightened. Touching even the rough cover of a book could force her into a memory the book held, of the user that once owned it, or even perhaps its contents.

Kayla peered around a corner, and was met with a sight she had not prepared for. Draco Malfoy was sitting on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books. His white blond hair was dripping as he leaned over a large book. His black suit jacket was tossed beside him, soaking wet. He was breathing heavily as his eyes scanned the text before him. But then, he stopped and slowly looked over to where Kayla was standing, her mouth slightly agape. Draco looked up at her, his grey eyes wide. Water dripped from his forehead, to the end of his nose and then onto the book below him.

Kayla said nothing as she walked slowly to him, bent to one knee and glanced down at the book. It was an old book with yellow pages. Draco pushed the book behind him. He said nothing but stared at her, his jaw slightly trembling. He was clutching his wand in his left hand and had it slightly raised. Kayla reached forward, consciously grabbing his arm that was covered by sleeve and lowered his wand to the floor. His wand fell from his grip and rolled across the floor.


	25. Draco's Secret

The thought of the Astronomy Tower being out of bounds except for classes had never bothered Catherine. No one even bothered to check to see if students had managed to sneak away to the tower. Catherine also had an excellent relationship with Professor Sinistra, who wouldn't have minded in the least if Catherine used the Astronomy Tower as a hideaway. Still, the thought of doing something she wasn't allowed to do, gave her a little thrill.

Catherine looked off at the horizon and the billowing clouds in the distance. If she and Kayla were to go ahead with this insane plan, they needed to go soon. Catherine had been unable to sleep the night before. In a rare feat, she had been up before Kayla and had climbed the Astronomy Tower. Today, she just wanted to be alone. She would indeed join Kayla in the Great Hall before they headed to Hogsmeade. Perhaps there was even enough time to talk Kayla down from this plan to lace Draco Malfoy's drink with Amortentia. She chuckled to herself at the thought of Draco being overcome with a love potion. It would definitely be a sight to see someone like him fawning over her friend. And Kayla's embarrassed reaction would be hilarious. But then again, the idea of changing someone, even for a short period of time, just seemed wrong. It was unlike Kayla to go to such lengths to get an answer. But Kayla was the one with the gift of Seeing. Not her. Maybe the end justified the means.

Maybe...

Catherine crumpled up the envelope in her hands. She'd almost forgotten she had been holding it. She had come up to the Astronomy Tower to open the letter from her parents. She had been busy distracting herself with anything else. She stared at her mother's writing inked on the outside of the envelope and turned over to find her family's seal. She thumbed the dark green wax and slowly began to pry it from the envelope. Did she want to know? What if it was another failed attempt from her father? What if it was something she had been fearing? Just as she pried the wax from the envelope, she heard the scuffling of feet and immediately stuffed the envelope in her cardigan.

Dane appeared from the tower stairwell out of breath and red in the face. He lumbered over to Catherine and collapsed to his knees.

"Millicent Bulstrode... told Theodore Nott... that she spotted you heading up... to the Astronomy Tower." He said out of breath.

He held a finger up and breathed in great gulps of air. "She... also said you owe her five Sickles for the bet you lost to her a week ago."

Catherine crossed her arms over her chest. "Millicent Bulstrode is bloody idiot. And _she_ owes _me_ seven Sickles actually."

When Dane had caught his breath and the color of his face had returned to normal, he sighed. "I thought you'd have gone to Hogsmeade with Kayla."

"Not that it's any of your business," Catherine said, standing up, "But I'm meeting her in the Great Hall in just a bit before we go to Hogsmeade." She arched an eyebrow. "How did you know we were supposed to go to Hogsmeade?"

Dane stood. "That can't be right. I saw her heading to Hogsmeade on her own just a little while ago. She seemed like she was up to something. I thought you both were up to something the way you were talking yesterday in Potion's."

Catherine was already headed toward the stairs, Dane quickly in tow. "Why would she go to Hogsmeade without you? I know you guys were planning to celebrate a late Halloween or something. But it doesn't seem like her to go without you. Does that seem right?"

"No it bloody doesn't!" Catherine shouted.

As they made their way down the stairs, Catherine scanned her thoughts for reasons why Kayla would have gone on to Hogsmeade without her. Maybe it was because Kayla knew Catherine would talk her out of her plan. Perhaps she thought she could do it on her own. Maybe she thought she didn't need Catherine. She felt her cheeks begin to burn. There had to be a reason. Kayla didn't do anything without careful planning. But Kayla had changed since she had been in the hospital wing. Something had been different. There was a chance that whatever Kayla had seen in her vision was propelling her to take action no matter how reckless it could be.

"You mind cluing me in to what is going on? Why would she go without you? What were you guys planning?"

Catherine stopped abruptly. Dane slipped and grabbed the banister beside him to prevent him from falling onto her.

"Draco's up to something. We saw him talking to a strange cabinet in the Room of Hidden Things. She thinks there might be something going on with him and it could be connected to something big. We took some Amortentia we brewed in Potion's yesterday and were planning to use it on Draco so Kayla could get close enough to him to touch him and find out what he's hiding."

It all came out so suddenly that Catherine had to sit down on the stone step for a moment just to gain her breath back.

Dane stared blankly for a moment before he found his words. "That's insane. She could expose herself! She could reveal that she's a Seer to him. And if Draco Malfoy finds out, his family could find out. Death Eaters could find out. You-Know-Who even... -This could expose her and I as Seers. Our families could be in danger!"

Catherine breathed out a heavy sigh. "I know that. But I trust her. Kayla wouldn't do anything reckless."

As if the words has just registered in Dane's mind, he suddenly began to blush. "Wait. You said she's going to give him Amortentia?"

Catherine nodded.

Dane clutched his knees. Thoughts of Malfoy swooning over Kayla made him queasy. If they were in close proximity and she was using it to touch him, things could get out of hand. Maybe this was something that needed to happen. But there had to be another way. Malfoy could possibly tell that she was tapping into his thoughts. It was too much of a risk all around.

"But why would she leave without you?" Dane asked again. Catherine stood and headed back down the stairs. Dane headed down after her.

"I don't get it..." Dane said. "I don't bloody know either!" Catherine exclaimed.

But Catherine knew that if Kayla was acting alone, it would be because she was doing something she knew Catherine wouldn't approve of. Whatever she was doing, they needed to get to Hogsmeade immediately.

* * *

Draco watched as Kayla's hand lay gently on his arm. He released his grip on his wand and it clattered to the floor and rolled away. He stared up at her, his eyes finding her dark brown eyes. Her hair was dripping wet and curly.

Draco moved away from her, his face tinged pink as he glanced around at the books surrounding him.

"It's okay..." She said softly. Draco said nothing as Kayla moved closer to him. Observing his behaviour, she added, "I won't tell anyone."

Draco's panted breath slowed and he stared at Kayla, unable to say anything.

Kayla reached forward and pulled at the book he'd been reading, scooting it closer to her from beneath his arm. It was a book on ancient defensive spells. She stared down at the book for a moment before Draco snatched it from her, closed it and put it on top of the mountain of books behind him.

"I'm not here to judge you Draco. I promise. I won't tell anyone anything."

Draco's eyes welled up with tears. He closed his eyes and turned away. Kayla moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. He recoiled from her touch.

"Draco, please. I heard that you wanted to talk to me. That you thought I could understand something."

"How did you know I was here?" He asked, softly. Kayla shook her head. "I'm not sure. I had a feeling of sorts."

Draco turned to her, "Maybe you _can_ help then. You're a Seer aren't you?"

Kayla felt as if her heart had fallen into her stomach. "What?"

Draco wiped his nose with his sleeve. "I know what you are," he said softly, his eyes staring at the ground. "I know that you're a Seer."

"How do you-"

"My father."

Kayla felt lightheaded and panicked. "Your father knows I'm a Seer?"

"No." Draco said, as he reached out and grabbed Kayla's arm. "I mean, my father, he's been in the Ministry and he was looking into Seers. He made a list of surnames of those who could be Seers due to their bloodline and lineage. He copied down the list and I saw it in his study. I saw Roth on it and wondered if it could be you."

Kayla swallowed hard, her eyes now glistening with tears. She was found out. There would be no hiding this time. If Draco confirmed to his father that she was a Seer, her family could be killed. Dane's family could be killed. If anyone on You-Know-Who's side found out about them...

"I'm not going to tell my father." Draco said suddenly. "I promise."

Kayla turned to him, her eyes full of venom. "Why should I trust you? I could lose my life if anyone found out!"

"Because I have a secret too!" Draco exclaimed, "And I'm going to tell you. And if you promise not to tell my secret, I promise I won't tell yours."

Kayla stared at the ground. "Please..." Draco whispered.

Draco moved closer to Kayla. "Please. I need your help. It's about my family."

Kayla looked up at him. His grey eyes were watery and red. He'd been crying. "I need to know something."

Kayla stared at his pale hand that was on the floor. She could do it. She could do it at that moment...

She remembered touching the back of his hand in Flourish and Blotts. How she'd felt his pain. He'd been in such pain that it had stricken her to the ground. As she looked at his face, his wet blond hair, the desperation in his eyes, she knew in that moment, that Draco Malfoy, however much of a little shit he was.. -that he was a human being. He was a young man. And he was in pain.

"Alright," Kayla said hoarsely, not believing her own ears of what had just come from her mouth. "I'll do it. Now tell me."

Draco sighed. "I've been told I have to do something. And I'm not sure if I can do it. And if I don't do it, my family will be killed." When he said the word "killed" his voice quivered. "They'll be _hunted down_ and _killed_ ," he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks.

Kayla felt her head go silent. It wasn't often her thoughts ceased and her brain fell completely quiet.

"I need to know if I accomplish the mission that I've been ordered. I need to know if my family dies."

Kayla shook her head, "I don't know what your mission is so I can't-"

"I can't tell you what it is!" He shouted. He sighed and took a moment before he looked up at her eyes again, "Can you please just tell me if they die or not? That's all. I need to know if they'll be okay in the future. Please."

Too many times Kayla had overthought and over-analyzed. Too many times she'd squandered any hope of helping anyone including herself because of her brain. She'd always relied on Catherine to help her balance out. But Catherine wasn't there at the moment.

Kayla pulled herself closer to Draco. "Okay..." She said. "Give me your hand." Kayla reached for his arm but he yanked it away.

"Not that one! This one..." He pulled sleeve away from his opposite arm. Kayla's heart hammered in her chest. She'd felt this feeling before. But this time, she didn't want to think about. She didn't want to analyze.

"Is this how it works?" Draco asked. Kayla nodded, "I have to touch you. At least that's how it works for me."

Oh, if Catherine could hear this now. Would she believe that Draco Malfoy was afraid?

Kayla sucked in her breath, "Hold still." Draco froze, his eyes filled with uncertainty. Kayla grasped his forearm. Immediately, she felt as if she were rocking on a ship. She was surrounded by a dense fog, the ground beneath her tilted back and forth. She walked through the fog, trying to regain her balance, but the fog became thicker. She felt herself fall over and hit the hard ground.

When she opened her eyes she was on the floor of the bookshop. "What's happened?" Draco asked, his tone laced with concern.

Kayla pulled herself upright and swallowed, completely disoriented. She felt the need to vomit. She held up a finger to him.

"You're not faking this are you? If you are, I swear I-"

"-No!" Kayla scoffed, "I'm not faking it. You're blocking me out. You're pushing me out of your thoughts. You're hiding so much I can't see anything."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "I told you, there are things that are off limits!"

Kayla thought for a moment before thinking up a different approach.

"Draco, I want to tell you something." Draco's expression softened. "The day I saw you in Flourish and Blotts," she said, her voice low, "I think you had a suspicion that I was a Seer then. You probably had seen the list of name then." Draco nodded in response.

"When you walked by me, your hand brushed mine. I didn't get a specific vision exactly, but I felt something." Kayla felt her eyes begin to well with tears at the remembrance of the feeling. She thought of how the feeling had cut into her as if it were her own. She remembered staring at Draco as he left the shop with his mother. Tears fell down her cheeks and she did not wipe them away. "I felt pain."

Draco's eyes widened.

"I felt your pain. I felt loneliness, frustration, heartache..."

Draco's eyes darted around him and he began to blush slightly. "Well, how come when I barely touched you that day you got that much, but now you can't See anything?"

Kayla shook her head, "You weren't certain I was a Seer. You had nothing to lose. You had your guard down."

She moved even closer to him, standing up on her knees. "I don't know your situation, Draco. I don't know what you're going through. But that feeling of pain, I know it. I know what it's like to feel as if you're the only one in the whole world. I know what it's like to feel as if you're standing in the middle of a room screaming and no one looks up."

Tears filled Draco's eyes but he said nothing.

She reached a hand up and placed it along the side of his face. He winced slightly at her touch. She pulled herself to him and kissed him on the lips. Draco moved away for a moment. But a second later he pulled her close and kissed her back.

There was a flash of light suddenly and Kayla was immersed in darkness. She was on her knees, her hands cupping the air where Draco had been. As she stood, she saw that she was on top of the Astronomy Tower. The sky was an ominous purple and the clouds above were moving fast. A breeze blew her hair back as she walked to the edge of the Astronomy Tower and peered over. Something wasn't right.

She turned sharply to find Draco behind her, his wand aimed just a few inches from her face. He was shaking, his lips trembling. He began to talk, but his words were muted. She couldn't hear what he was saying. His sleeves were rolled up, and on his forearm was a Dark Mark tattoo. Draco was talking, pointing to himself and then down at the ground. He was crying, his wand still pointed at her. Kayla turned to glance behind her, but she did not see anyone. He seemed to be in a conversation with someone she could not See. Kayla reached out to touch him, but before she could, Draco turned, glancing behind him. Someone was there with him, but again, it were as if he were talking to the air.

Malfoy had wanted her to see if his parents were alive in the future. She closed her eyes and focused. She felt a snap and suddenly felt herself enveloped by arms. Draco was kissing her deeply. His tongue grazing her own. She felt his chest against her own, his heart beating rapidly. There was another snap and suddenly she was in a dark foyer. A woman with blond hair and blue eyes sat at a dark, mahogany table. Her fingers were laced together. She was staring down at her fingers. Kayla immediately recognized her as Draco's mother. A tall man with long, white-blond hair stood in front of a fireplace behind her, his back to them both. This had to be Draco's father.

"You lack faith in our son!" The man spat. Draco's mother closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. She woman slammed her palms on the table and stood, pushing back her chair. She turned sharply. "I believe in our son!" She lowered her voice suddenly, "I've never doubted Draco. It's _him_ I don't have faith in!" Kayla stepped closer but suddenly the scene dissolved and she was back in the bookshop. Draco's hands were clinging to her shoulders. His breath was ragged, his lips red.


	26. Understandings

Kayla's eyes widened. She grabbed his arm and pulled back his sleeve, revealing his Dark Mark. Draco recoiled, pushing his sleeve over his arm.

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

Draco buttoned his sleeve. "You have no idea what you're talking about! They _made_ me..."

"-I saw you, Draco. You were standing on the Astronomy Tower. You were about to do something. You were scared. What were you going to do?"

Draco shook his head, "I don't know!"

"You're lying!" She shouted, standing up. Draco stood and brushed himself off. "I'm not!"

"You were afraid, Draco. You were shaking. You were talking to someone but I couldn't see who."

"-Did you see my parents?" He asked suddenly. Kayla opened her mouth but then snapped it shut.

"DID YOU SEE MY PARENTS?" He shouted. Kayla nodded.

Draco brushed back his hair from his face. He stared at the ground, unable to look Kayla in the eyes. "And... were they..."

"-I don't know!"

He looked up at her. "I don't know if your parents are alive or not in the future. I saw them talking about you." Draco moved closer to her but Kayla moved back in return.

"What were they saying?"

"Your father said your mother lacked faith in you. But your mother was angry and said she believed in you. She said the only person she doubted was 'him'."

Draco's eyes darted around as he digested the information.

"Who are they talking about, Draco?"

Draco picked up his wand, waved it and the mountain of books began to levitate. They floated around the bookshop, lodging themselves into their rightful places on the shelves around them.

"Who were they talking about? Answer me!"

Draco flicked his wand at his suit jacket and it was immediately dried. He put it on and pocketed his wand.

"I have to go." He said bluntly. He walked by Kayla and headed to the front of the bookshop.

"That's it then? Quick snog in the back of a bookshop, I tell you your future and you just leave?!"

Draco turned, "You didn't tell me shit!" Kayla pulled out her wand. "Like hell!"

He glanced at her wand, chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not going to fight you."

"I don't get to choose what I do and do not See! I didn't ask for this curse! I didn't ask for any of this!" Her voice cracked. She was sobbing now. She wiped her cheeks. She could feel her blood boiling. What would he do now? Reveal that she was a Seer? Was she going to lose everything.

But Draco's face softened, "I understand."

He walked over to her. "Neither of us chose to be stricken with a burden that threatens to destroy us. I understand that. I won't tell anyone your secret. I promise. Just please, don't share mine."

He grabbed her hands and held them. Kayla glanced up at his grey eyes. She tried to pull herself together. The entire situation seemed so surreal. She was standing in a bookshop in Hogsmeade and had _kissed_ Draco Malfoy. Okay, if she was being truthful with herself she had _snogged_ Draco Malfoy. She'd seen the future and possibly the present. She felt as if something had been taken from her. It felt as if a piece of her had become dislodged.

A few moments later, Draco smiled sadly and turned before he left the store.

Kayla stood alone in the bookshop. Hot tears fell down her face. This was too much. Her head felt jumbled. Where she had felt so certain just days before, she now felt as if she'd been socked in the stomach. She fell to her knees and cupped her mouth, sobbing.

The door opened again and Catherine stood in the doorway. She rushed over and fell to the floor, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"Did you do it?" She whispered. Kayla nodded. Catherine hugged her tightly. "It's okay. I promise it's going to be okay. I promise."

* * *

Dane sat on a bench at The Three Broomsticks, his leg bouncing nervously as he stared at his Butterbeer on the table in front of him. A girl beside him set down her glass on the table with a loud thud. "You mind?"

Dane looked at her. "You're causing the whole table to shake." She said. Dane apologized, stopped shaking his leg, and took a long swig of his Butterbeer. His heart was beating so fast that he could feel it throbbing in his temples. Kayla hadn't been at The Three Broomsticks. Catherine had left him there, declaring she had a hunch Kayla had "gotten distracted" and gone to Tomes and Scrolls on a hunt for a book they talked about. But Dane was no fool. There was something going on. Maybe she'd met up with Draco there after she'd given him the Amortentia.

Thoughts of Kayla making out with Draco danced in his head. It was giving him a headache.

"Ahh, Mr. Blackwood!" Came a cheery voice. It was Professor Slughorn. He was dressed in his usual robes, his cheeks were tinged red. Probably from too much mead.

Dane stood and shook Slughorn's hand. "Nice to see you Professor."

"You look distracted my boy. Too much homework I gather?"

Dane tried to gather his thoughts, "No sir, I'm actually all caught up actually. Like to leave my weekends free and clear."

Slughorn clapped him on the shoulder, "Of course you have." Professor Slughorn sat down across from him. "Now, I must tell you. I'm throwing a little Christmas party. I know we're a little ways out from Christmas but I like to plan these things ahead of time, you know?"

Dane shook his head in response and eyed the doorway. Catherine should have been back by now.

"I was wondering if you'd like to attend? Would love to have you. One of my best and brightest you know?"

Snapping back to the conversation, Dane shook his head. "Of course Professor, I'd love to come." Professor Slughorn chuckled and took a long sip from his cup. He swallowed and rubbed his mouth with his sleeve. "Perfect!" He said a little too loudly. He stood and began to leave. "Look for my owl then!"

Dane nodded, cursing himself for being so distracted. Slughorn moved away, waving at another student before he approached the barkeep and asked for another round.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door at the entrance swung open and in came Catherine and Kayla soaked to the bone. Dane stood and crossed the bar to them. Kayla looked abnormally pale and her eyes were slightly swollen. Catherine had an arm draped over her. She sat Kayla down, told her that she was going to buy them some Butterbeers and headed to the front to order.

Dane felt the urge to reach across the table and grab Kayla's hands. He looked at her eyes but she would not return his gaze. He reached forward, grasping her sleeve and tugging it closer to him. But she pulled away, swallowed, as a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Kayla..." He whispered. "You're not alone in this." She looked up at him. "May I?"

His words fell softly. _May I?_

He was asking. He wasn't demanding. His clear blue eyes held nothing but truth. They weren't hiding foreboding secrets. They were shallow pools, promising her that his motives were clear and transparent. She extended her hand across the table and gently, he took it. They stared into each other's eyes across the table. Her lip trembled and her hand shook slightly, but Dane held it steadfast, his expression reassuring. Her hand was cold and wet, his was warm and soft.

"Here we go," Catherine said, setting down two mugs of Butterbeer beside them. Dane gently let go of Kayla's hand. Catherine eyed them suspiciously. She sipped her Butterbeer quietly while eyeing the two of them.

Kayla wiped her face. "Please drink it." Catherine urged. Kayla took a small sip from her mug and set it down again.

"Listen, Dane... Things happened and I don't know if Kayla feels up to explaining right now-"

"He knows," Kayla said hoarsely. "He knows everything."

"I was gone for like a minute, how did you..."

Both Dane and Kayla looked at Catherine.

Catherine tilted her head back, "Say no more. I understand."

Silence fell over the table again. Catherine took a sip of her Butterbeer and then muttered, "Wish I could be filled in on a whole story in a matter of moments just from touching someone."

Dane smiled.

The three of them let silence fall over the table again, unsure of what to say. They couldn't discuss anything in public at the moment. So, they sat silently, sipping their hot Butterbeer. Catherine was adamant on getting colour back into Kayla's cheeks before they headed back to Hogwarts.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Dane said, as he fished in his pocket for something. He pulled out a tiny box and placed it in front of Kayla.

"Thought you'd like this. It's a Chocoball from Honeydukes. I know you like chocolate and strawberry. It's got strawberry filling."

"Thanks," she replied. She opened the box, and took a big bite of the Chocoball. Slowly, a smile spread over her face and all three of them began to chuckle.

Catherine smiled. They were going to get through this. She just knew it.

* * *

Catherine and Kayla leaned against the stone walls of the entrance courtyard. Kayla had her arms wrapped around her. Some of the colour had returned to her face and Catherine was positive that between the Butterbeer and the Chocoball Dane had given her, it had done the trick.

"So, can I call him a right foul git, or is that too harsh? I'm conflicted." Catherine joked, as she nudged her friend. Kayla smiled.

"He's not going to hurt anyone." Kayla said bluntly. "I saw him. I saw that he was about to do something. But Draco Malfoy is afraid. He's like any of us. He's got his secrets. But he's got concerned parents and he has his own problems. But he isn't going to hurt anyone. And I think it's safe to say he has nothing to do with Dane's sister."

They walked on toward the Great Hall. The sounds of cheers in the distance could be heard from the Quidditch pitch. The match had begun.

Catherine nudged Kayla. "So, this might not be the right time but..."

Kayla stopped, turned to Catherine and leaned forward, "I can confirm, as a Ravenclaw, that yes, Slytherins do indeed 'do it with their tongues', as has been been reported."

Catherine clapped her hands together and laughed. As the entered the corridor, Catherine asked, "How do you think Dane feels about you kissing Draco? I mean, now that he knows and all?"

Kayla shrugged. "I don't know, really."

"You know that guy is crazy about you, right?"

Kayla arched an eyebrow, "Just because he has the same abilities as me and feels a connection doesn't necessarily mean he's attracted to me."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "Come on! I mean it's so obvious! How can you be so oblivious?"

Kayla shrugged, "I'm not! You can't help but wear your heart on your sleeve when you're, someone like me. Or us."

"So there's an 'us' now, is there?" Catherine chided.

"Shut up. I just mean, feelings can get misinterpreted."

Catherine stopped in her tracks. "Why don't you go up to Ravenclaw Tower right this minute, grab him and kiss the living hell out of him and then tell me what he says!"

Kayla's face immediately turned scarlet.

"Well, if I had known that would have gotten colour back into your cheeks that fast, I would have said it sooner."

Kayla turned on her heel and walked faster toward the Great Hall.

"Bet you'll be snogging by Christmas!" She shouted. Kayla turned as she walked on, shooting Catherine a poisonous look.

When Catherine remained where she stood, Kayla asked, "Aren't you coming? There's probably still food left."

"No, you go on. I'll catch up in a few minutes. I've got to do something."

Kayla smiled and nodded before she disappeared into the Great Hall.

When she was out of sight, Catherine rounded a corner and leaned against the stone wall. She pulled out the crumpled envelope from her cardigan and opened the letter.

 ** _Catherine,_**

 ** _I'm writing you to inform you that your father will be away for awhile. He has urgent business_**

 ** _with the Ministry. Do not be alarmed. I have been informed that even though the matter_**

 ** _is urgent, he shall be returning home in the next few weeks. I must however, urge you to_**

 ** _look after your friend. I know that she has been quite lonely lately as you have indicated_**

 ** _in your past letters. Please stay safe. Know that I am okay._**

 ** _Do what is necessary. Stay safe._**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Mum_**

Catherine folded the letter quickly and tucked it back into her cardigan. She held her hand to her mouth and bit down on her forefinger.

It didn't take a Seer to know that her mother was speaking to her in code.


	27. The Letter

When everyone had gone to bed and the whole of the Slytherin common room had become still and silent, Catherine crept down from dormitory and stood beside the crackling fire. Every so often, the fire would glow a fantastic green. Someone had bewitched the fire to turn Slytherin colours when someone entered the common room. Catherine sat on her legs beside the fire and stared into the green flames as they danced and the wood crackled. The sounds of the Great Lake filled the room. But tonight, they did nothing to make Catherine sleepy. She waited a few more moments, listened for any sounds of footsteps, and when she did not hear them, she pulled a piece of parchment from her robe. She had long since burned the envelope bearing her mother's name and address along with their family seal. But Catherine could not part with her mother's letter. Catherine stared her mother's writing which had been written in scarlet ink. Her eyes scanned over the words, though she did not read them. She gingerly touched the words, as if perhaps they would make her feel as if her mother was right beside her. She stared down at the last words of her mother's letter.

 _ **Do what is necessary. Stay safe.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Mum**_

It had been many weeks since the situation had occurred in Hogsmeade. She had opened the letter on that evening, having held onto it for several days. Something in her stomach told her that it wasn't going to be good news, and it was exactly as she had predicted. It was only a couple of weeks before the Christmas holiday now. Students were making arrangements to spend the holidays at home with their families. As for Catherine, she wasn't sure whether she was going home or not. She stared down at the letter again, deciphering her and her mother's code they had constructed for writing letters. She knew full well that 'urgent business with the Ministry' meant her father was involved with and inquiry. The 'look after your friend' part meant that infiltrators of the Ministry could be onto the fact that they knew Kayla's family was on a list of Seers.

Kayla had divulged details of what Draco had told her that night at Tomes and Scrolls. But Catherine as also positive that Kayla was withholding information as well. On that subject, she had decided not to pry or push her friend. She too was hiding something. Catherine then recalled the night overhearing her father in his study. There had been a stranger with him.

 _They're intercepting owls, Henry._ -This was why her mother had written to her in code.

 _They're targeting Seers, Henry._ -If it had been a Ministry official talking to her father, and now he was facing an inquiry, then her mother's words were definitely a warning. She needed to protect her friend. Catherine had waited diligently for a follow-up letter from her mother, but had received nothing. Was she to act now, or wait for her mother? Doubt had filled her head and even perhaps denial. Over the past few weeks, things had somewhat returned to normal. Potion's class had been just fine. With the Amortentia potion behind them, they had moved onto brewing a Shrinking Solution and even Draught of Living Death, which excited Kayla so much that it somewhat frightened Catherine.

"What?" Kayla asked, when Catherine had shot her an incredulous look. "It's just a sleeping draught."

Catherine arched an eyebrow, "It has the words, 'living' and 'death' beside each other."

But Kayla had brushed off Catherine's comment and checked her ingredients to make sure she had Valerian root, a Sopophorus bean, and various other ingredients. Then, Kayla took a double take at her Potion's book. "Awww noooo!" She cried. Catherine peered over.

"It calls for a sloth brain!" Suddenly, Kayla was inconsolable. She cupped her eyes and leaned over onto her desk. A few students glanced their way with judgmental looks. Catherine knew from being best friends with a Seer all of these years, that during the ebbs and flows of certain astrological events and atmospheric movements, her friend could be very emotional and sometimes inconsolable.

Catherine had patted Kayla on the back, "Just think, that sloth gave up it's brain so you could make an extremely powerful sleeping draught." This did nothing to console her friend, for she then began crying. Dane, who was brewing his potion on the opposite side of the room, had looked extremely ill. Catherine rolled her eyes, "Not you too!" She shouted. It was as if Dane hadn't even heard her. He just slowly stirred his potion and watched the contents bubble. Watching over two Seers at the same time was the toughest babysitting gig she'd ever signed on for.

But it hadn't been all emotions and outbursts. They had gone back to meeting in the library to study. Catherine had been proud of herself for successfully outmaneuvering Neville Longbottom. Kayla had suggested that perhaps the poor chap had given up. Catherine quickly dismissed this and assured that she'd just outsmarted him. They still teamed up together during Herbology, but she could admit that Neville had been less talkative and therefore, less annoying.

Indeed, everything had once again, begun to feel peaceful. Therefore, Catherine had neglected to tell Kayla about the letter from her mother. She needed to wait for a follow-up letter before she did anything. If the danger was imminent, her mother would have indicated so. For now, she just needed to be watchful. Catherine longed to go home for the Christmas holiday, but felt somewhat conflicted. Part of her wanted to stay. Kayla's family did not celebrate Christmas, but she and her best friend had often exchanged presents anyway. Kayla's grandparents were taking a holiday to Norway, they said. And so, Kayla would remain at Hogwarts. Though Dane had not informed them of his Christmas plans, she was sure that if Kayla was staying, then Dane would as well.

Suddenly, the door to the Slytherin common room opened with a loud squeak. Catherine pocketed her mother's letter and stood abruptly, feeling slightly foolish. It definitely wouldn't be a professor coming in this late.

A very tired Draco Malfoy walked into the green firelight, his face dreadfully illuminated. He looked like some sort of green goblin.

"Off into the night again, Malfoy?"

Draco walked in the direction of the boys' dormitory, "Piss off, Delaney."

Kayla had only told her snippets of what had happened in Tomes and Scrolls. She mentioned that Malfoy knew she was a Seer and that her name had been on some sort of list. Or at least, her family's name. She hadn't said why he was in Tomes and Scrolls. Only that he was upset about something that could happen to him or his family. Kayla didn't even tell her his visions. She said she had promised him she wouldn't tell. But Kayla did tell her about the kissing.

Catherine watched as he began to ascend the stairs, but stopped in the doorway, turned and asked, "Your friend... Is she okay?"

Catherine nodded before Draco turned and disappeared up into the boys' dormitory.

Then, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, Catherine thought back to the stranger in her father's study and the mention of targeting Seers. She thought of how Kayla had told her that Draco had told her that her name was on a list. These incidents were definitely connected.

Catherine raced up the steps to her dormitory and opened her beside table. She grabbed ink and some parchment and began scribbling out a letter.

 _ **Mum,**_

 ** _hope all is well. Your words have been a comfort for me_**

 ** _these past few weeks. Please inform me on any family updates._**

 ** _I'm eager to come home for the holidays._**

 ** _Hope it won't be raining. At least for now._**

 _ **Catherine**_

It was a bit on the nose, but anyone that was intercepting owls, it would just sound like a homesick schoolgirl excited for the holidays. Catherine folded up her letter, placed it in an envelope and carefully, melted wax onto the flap before she stamped it with the Hogwarts crest stamp. (It would appear less conspicuous than her family's crest).

She needed to tell Kayla about the letter. But only after she received her mother's return letter. Then she would tell her.

For now, Catherine knew two things were certain. Firstly, she needed to keep things calm at school. Secondly, she needed to get home for Christmas.

Not only was she certain that the answers to her friend's safety resided at home, but perhaps even to the whereabouts of Dane's sister.

* * *

Kayla smushed her oatmeal against the sides of her bowl with her spoon. She grabbed her goblet, drank some water and continued in the mushing of her oatmeal. Kayla hated breakfast. She wasn't sure why everyone else loved it so much. All around her, students were gobbling up large chunks of eggs, pastries slathered in butter, long sheets of bacon and thick pieces of sausage. Even the smell of breakfast foods made her nauseated. Someone brushed by her back and she immediately felt anger pulsate through her. She turned to find Maggie with her Quidditch friends. Maggie turned for a second, winked at Kayla and then walked on as if nothing had happened. Kayla mushed her oatmeal against her bowl angrily.

"What did that oatmeal ever do to you?" Asked a voice beside her. She turned to find Dane, who had just sat down. He grabbed an apple from a large pile of fruit before them and took a large bite. Kayla returned to staring at her oatmeal. Maybe she was the only one who hated breakfast. But Kayla had always been different from others. Why should preference of foods be any different.

"I hate breakfast too. But I force myself to eat at least a piece of fruit. If I don't, then my stomach aches the rest of the day."

"How did you-?"

Dane laughed, "It doesn't take _abilities_ to See that you hate breakfast. Merlin's Beard you're going make that oatmeal into concrete."

Kayla shoved her bowl away. "I'm finished."

Dane sighed and shoved his apple to her, "Here, eat a bite of this." Kayla snarled her nose. She was not accustomed to eating after people. She wouldn't even eat after Catherine, which vexed her friend to no end.

"You'll let Malfoy stick his tongue in your mouth but you won't eat after your best friend?" Catherine had joked.

Suddenly, Kayla's stomach somersaulted. She remembered what Catherine had said a few weeks prior when she had implied that Dane was smitten with her. Did he like her?

Dane shoved the apple closer to her, and much to her surprise, she took it.

"Promise it'll help with the hunger pangs and the nauseating feeling from all the breakfast smells."

She'd always felt drawn to Dane. But maybe she had assumed it was because of their connection. Maybe she was just in denial. That seemed more plausible.

She took a bite of the apple and wiped her mouth where the juice had spilled from. Dane smiled and stared at her lips.

But before anything could happen, someone grabbed the collar of Dane's shirt and lunged him to the side.

"Damn, Catherine, you're stronger than you look."

Catherine wedged herself between them and ignored Dane's comment.

"We need to go somewhere to talk before class."

Kayla was already standing up. She handed the apple back to Dane. This did not escape Catherine's notice. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

As Dane trailed behind them as they walked out of the Great Hall, Catherine teased, "So you'll eat after him but not me, I see how it is."

Instead of the usual jab in her side that Kayla gave her, Kayla crossed her arms over her chest, "What does this have to do with?"

"I received a letter from my mum this morning. We need to talk."


	28. Christmas Preparations

Kayla sat in Potion's class staring at her book as Slughorn lectured at the front of the class. He had been saying something about how the next potion they would be brewing would take some time to complete. He had gone into a tailspin of a harrowing story of misuse of the potion and before the class had realized it, he had gone into the next story and the next story. Kayla however, was deep in thought. A week had passed since Catherine had shared the letter she'd received from her mum. Kayla had a first felt angry that Catherine had kept something like that from her, but after she had cooled off, she had acknowledged that Catherine had her reasons and she needed to trust her. Dane however, was less convinced.

"Why would you keep this from Kayla? Didn't you think she deserved the right to know?" Dane whispered loudly as they walked to class. Kayla had walked between them as they argued over her. She was staring at the stones beneath her feet, counting them as they walked along.

"Of course I was going to tell her! That's why I'm telling you all now! But I needed to hear from my mum before I made any rash decisions." Catherine was holding the letter from her mother. Dane reached for it, "What does it say?" Catherine stuffed it into her robes. "None of your business!"

"All I'm saying is if what you heard and what Kayla... _received_ from Draco is correct, that means my family's name could be on this list as well."

They stopped as the crowd of students around them swirled around them, all heading for their classes. Kayla stopped, still staring at the ground.

"Yes, I know that!" Catherine retorted, "Which is why I had to have confirmation from my mother that it will be safe to go home for Christmas."

"Why would you go home? If your father is involved in an inquiry, wouldn't it be better for you to stay here?"

"No." Kayla said simply.

As if remembering that she was still there, both Catherine and Dane looked at Kayla. She looked up. "Catherine needs to go home. She wants to go home. She needs to find out more about this list. If they are recruiting people like us, then they're recruiting all manner of creatures and people with abilities. This could be behind your sister's disappearance."

Catherine gestured her hand out to Kayla and shot Dane a look. "Exactly! See?"

Dane ruffled up his hair, obviously frustrated and confused. Both Catherine and Kayla had withheld so many things from Dane that nothing was adding up. He was flustered. But the look on Catherine and Kayla's face was filled with calm. Kayla placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me and I promise I'll fill you in on everything so you know it all."

Catherine gave Kayla a jab with her elbow, knocking Kayla back into the lecture with Slughorn. Kayla moved upright suddenly, which caught Slughorn's attention.

"Ah, Miss Roth! I'm sure you can tell us the side-effects of such a potion!" Slughorn eyed Kayla eagerly. Thankfully, Kayla had read ahead on the potion they would be brewing.

"Yes," she said, straightening, "Side-effects may include partially transforming into animals or part-humans. And it will not reverse automatically."

"Excellent!" Slughorn exclaimed, "Anyone fancy to answer what the characteristics of this potion are?"

Dane shot his hand up, "Before the addition of the final ingredient it should be thick and mud-like!" Slughorn nodded in agreement.

Kayla shot her hand up in the air as well, "It should also bubble slowly."

"Yes, yes! Well done. My feistiest Ravenclaws always on their toes. And what about after the addition of the final ingredient?"

Simultaneously, Dane and Kayla answered, "Taste and colour vary depending on the person being turned into!"

Dane and Kayla exchanged looks from across the classroom and both began to blush.

Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Can anyone name three ingredients in said potion?"

As Kayla's hand shot up, Catherine knocked it down with her own and raised the opposite hand. Before Slughorn could call on her she said, "Lacewing flies, leeches, and boom-slang skin. Amongst other ingredients of course."

Slughorn eyed the three of them with slight suspicion before a smile spread across his face. "Always competitive Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Well done all of you! 10 points to each of your houses!"

The rest of the class stared at them slack-jawed, unsure of what had just happened.

Feeling eyes on her, Kayla stared down at her book again, going over what would be happening over the next couple of weeks. Catherine would be heading home in a couple of days. The plan was for her to use get into her father's study and find any evidence of what the Ministry was after. If that didn't work, there was a Plan B and a Plan C. The main goal however, was to find out as much as possible as soon as possible.

When Slughorn concluded the lesson and teased that they would not begin brewing until after the holidays, the class collectively sighed. The idea of brewing a potion that allowed them to transform into another had excited them. As Kayla and Catherine began to pack up their things, Catherine asked, "What do you think I would taste like?"

Repulsed, Kayla arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "I mean in Polyjuice potion?" If it takes on taste and color of the person you're changing into, what would I taste like?"

"Hmmm..." Kayla said as she placed her Potion's book into her rucksack. "Well, you'd definitely be purple. You'd probably smell like apple blossoms and taste sweet. Not too sweet. And a little tart."

Dane walked over to them just in time to hear their conversation. "You guys are talking about what your own Polyjuice potions would taste like, aren't you?"

As they began walking out of the classroom together, Catherine joked, "Bet you'd taste like piss and vinegar." Dane rolled his eyes. Kayla nudged his side. The small physical touch did not escape the Catherine's watchful eye. "You know she likes you when she berates you and teases you."

The three of them walked down the hallway, the thought of two weeks off from school was just beyond their grasp. One more day of classes and they would be free.

"What about Draco Malfoy?" Catherine asked, exchanging a look with Kayla. Kayla rolled her eyes. "If I had to guess, his Polyjuice potion would look silvery. He'd taste like... something dark... I'm not sure what."

"Dark chocolate?" Catherine suggested. Kayla nodded, her fist beneath her chin as she thought intently. Dane walked quietly beside them, wishing more than anything that the conversation would change to something, anything but this.

"But with Irish cream mixed in."

Catherine pounded her fist into her palm. "Yes, that sounds right. I think. I'll think about it over break and get back to you."

"You guys really think about things like this a lot don't you?"

Kayla and Catherine stopped and said at the same time, "Yes?" As if that was a question...

As they walked toward the Great Hall, Catherine eyed Dane's slightly red face. "What do you think Kayla would taste like, Dane?"

Dane opened his mouth but snapped it shut. His face grew scarlet. Kayla grabbed Catherine's sleeve and pulled her along. "Think he just had an episode," Catherine joked.

Ahead of them, a group of Gryffindor girls were giggling. A girl, whom Kayla recognized as Gryffindor student Romilda Vane, stood in the middle of them clutching what appeared to be Gillywater. She saw Kayla staring at her and then turned away. Romilda giggled and then waved to her friends as she placed the bottle of Gillywater in a small satchel. Kayla picked up her pace, and bumped into her. Her hand brushed Romilda's.

"Sorry about that." Kayla apologized.

"No problem." Romilda said, a smile on her face. She walked off, practically prancing toward the Great Hall.

When Catherine and Dane caught up to Kayla, they stopped beside her.

"She's planning on smuggling Harry Potter a love potion," Kayla declared.

"That's not right," Dane said suddenly, "Spiking someone's drink with a love potion. It isn't right to force someone to like you."

"How do you prefer on getting the ladies then?" Catherine scoffed, "Drool over them until they notice you?"

Not hearing any of this, Kayla took off into the Great Hall.

"Will you stop it!?" Dane asked. "Only if you tell her!" Catherine retorted.

The Great Hall was already bustling with students ready for the night's feast. The Great Hall was also louder than normal due to the excitement of the students for Christmas break. Kayla spotted the Gryffindor table and searched up and down. She didn't see Harry Potter but spotted his friend Hermione Granger. Kayla didn't know Hermione super well. When they had been in classes together, they had been fiercely competitive. Hermione was poring over a textbook while she waited for the feast to begin, something Kayla did more often than not.

"Hermione," she said, as she approached the bushy haired girl. Hermione looked up, a confused look on her face. At first, Kayla thought Hermione didn't remember her. But then, recognition suddenly spread across her face.

"Yes."

Kayla leaned over an whispered in her ear, "Romilda Vane is trying to smuggle Harry Potter a love potion."

She said nothing else but headed off into the direction of the Ravenclaw table, sure she had done the right thing.

* * *

Catherine sat at her desk in front of a mirror that had been provided to her by Professor McGonagall. She aimed her wand at her face again, sighed and then set it back down on desk before her. She had been waiting for the lesson since the beginning of term. The idea of having her eyebrows finally match her hair colour had excited her for reasons that would probably sound ridiculous to anyone else. But now, the thought of aiming her wand at herself gave her the willies.

"Is there a problem Miss Delaney?" McGonagall asked, as she paced over to Catherine. Catherine shook her head 'no'. McGonagall nodded and wandered off to observe other students who were successfully and very _unsuccessfully_ changing the colour of their eyebrows. The spell was meant to change entire hair colour. Eyebrows were just the start. If she could master the spell by end of class, perhaps she could successfully change the colour of her hair just in time to scare the hell out of her mother the time she arrived home.

Catherine breathed a heavy sigh, picked up her wand, aimed it at her eyebrows and muttered, " _Crinus muto_." To her surprise, her eyebrows began to turn from a lighter brown to a dark auburn.

That was one thing down for the day.

After Transfiguration, Catherine left the classroom to find Kayla waiting just outside for her.

"So, I'm thinking about wearing this black dress with lace at the top, but I'm afraid my legs are going to get cold," Kayla said, immediately speaking as if she were in the middle of a conversation already. "I have this long dusty rose coloured dress but I'm not sure if it's too fancy or not. Do you think it'll be cold? Or do you think I should go with the longer dress? -I'm also trying to figure out what the bloody hell to do with my hair..."

Catherine grabbed Kayla's arm. "First off, what are you talking about?"

Catherine swore Kayla's eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. "Slughorn's Christmas party! He invited you, Dane and I!"

She had completely forgotten. She'd been so preoccupied with going home, making sure her mother and father were okay and planning her investigation that she'd completely forgotten about the party. She had no dress, no shoes, nothing. To be perfectly honest, parties were not exactly Catherine's thing. She'd rather sneak some mead from the party and drink alone in the Slytherin common room. On second thought, that sounded quite sad. While she thought of this, she was completely oblivious to the fact that Kayla had been clutching her hand.

"No, you're not going to sneak some mead out and drink alone. _But,_ if you come to the party for an hour I'll sneak some mead out with you and we can drink together."

"And where do you propose we do that?"

"In the Slytherin common room."

Catherine held a hand to her own forehead, "You can't get in. And I've got to pack. I'm leaving in the morning for home. I need to go to bed early."

Catherine walked down the corridor alone. Kayla stood still, saddened that she would not be attending the party with her best friend.

But a moment later, Catherine turned around, "The black dress, those old-fashioned red shoe you have, wear your hair up with some pieces falling. And red lipstick."

* * *

Just as Catherine was finishing packing her trunk, a first year Slytherin girl approached her. "Sorry, but um, there's a guy downstairs wanting to talk to you." Catherine grabbed her wand and headed to the door to the common room. She thrust it open, her wand held out before her. Dane stood before her, dressed to the nines. He leapt back slightly in shock, his hands extended before him. "Hey, hey! Is that for me?" He asked, pointing at her wand.

Catherine tucked her wand into her pocket, "No, it was for... nevermind. _Why_ are you here?"

Dane placed his hands in his pockets and stared at his shoes. "Um, I wanted to talk to you. I know you're going home tomorrow and everything's set in motion and stuff. It's just that..." He stared up at her with his glassy blue eyes, "I wanted you to know that I'll look out for her while you're gone."

Catherine snickered. "What?" Dane asked, half frustrated and half laughing, "Can you stop making fun of me for like five seconds? What did I say?"

"You think she needs looking after?" Dane said nothing. "Kayla can protect herself. What she has trouble doing sometimes is coming out of her shell. She acts like she's got all this bravado and courage and confidence but she doesn't share a whole lot. You've known her since September. I've known her for years. What she needs is someone else besides me who she can trust."

Dane nodded, "I hope I'm the right person to do that."

"Me too," Catherine replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Dane spoke. This time his voice was lower.

"I really, really like her. I think you know that already. But I do. I wanted to ask her out to Slughorn's Christmas party tonight but she was going on and on about something else and I couldn't get a word in edge-wise."

"That's Kayla," Catherine laughed.

"I just really-"

"-You like her. I know. I've known. I'm sure everyone knows but her."

Dane flushed. "You look really nice you know."

Was that a compliment? Dane didn't dare ask.

"Just you two look out for each other while I'm gone. And if things work out, just... be uh, safe."

Dane's face turned beet red and he adjusted his tie, "Wha- I mean, I wasn't... I uh..."

"And if you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Dane paused.

"And I'll make it hurt. Cruciatus curse for a good while before I finish you off with the Killing Curse."

Now Dane wasn't sure if she was kidding or not. But before he could say anything, Catherine shut the door in his face.

* * *

Kayla wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she entered the party. Even though her family was Jewish, they had gone to numerous Christmas parties. But rumours had circulated about Slughorn's Christmas parties and therefore, she was unsure of what she should expect. The ceiling immediately caught her attention. It was draped with hangings of their school colours in such a way that it made it feel as if she were in a tent. There was a dangling lamp that drenched the entire room in a crimson glow. House-elves walked amongst the crowd, carrying large silver trays that were bigger than themselves with food. Immediately, she felt her heart begin to race in her chest. She felt as if she were saturated with stimuli and knew that before long, she would have to retreat to her common room. She felt her palms become clammy. She was backing up from where she had come when she collided with something large and lumpy behind her.

Professor Slughorn's eyes lit up when he saw her, "Ah! Miss Roth! So glad you accepted my invitation. Is Miss Delaney around?" Kayla shook her head, "I'm sorry Professor, but she has to retire early. She's leaving in the morning for home."

"And you're staying, I presume?" Kayla nodded.

For the next several minutes, they spoke about the complexities of Polyjuice potion. The conversation eased Kayla's anxiety. They talked about what a new edition of the Potion's textbook should contain and what it shouldn't contain. Slughorn suggested that Kayla was a very gifted Potion-maker, which made her blush slightly. The rapid conversation made her dizzy and soon Kayla felt her energy begin to drain. A hand then rested on her shoulder. She turned around to find Hermione Granger. She looked lovely.

"'Scuse me. I just wanted to thank you for what you said the other day. I really appreciate it."

Kayla smiled in response. Slughorn pushed past Kayla, "Miss Granger! How lovely to see you!"

Kayla pushed past the lot of them and headed for a table nearby that had a few dishes. She really wanted the table to steady herself more than anything.

Suddenly, there was a tug on her dress. Kayla wheeled around, "What?" She asked, frustrated and overwhelmed.

Before her stood Dane. She hadn't meant for her mouth to fall open, but she could help it. He was dressed in a handsome black suit with a blue and gold pocket square. His tousled hair appeared darker tonight which made his blue eyes appear brighter and clearer.

Dane smiled sympathetically, "Overstimulated?"

"What?" Kayla asked, her face red.

"Uh, I mean too much stimuli in the room?"

Kayla nodded, finally understanding what he meant. Although, if she was being honest with herself, it wasn't just the room that was overstimulating. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought.

"I always find that this helps," Dane said, offering her a glass of mead.

Kayla took a swift sip of it. Held it in her mouth with her cheeks puffed out and then swallowed it hard. The expression on her face made Dane blush.

"I don't think I like this." Kayla admitted.

Dane took the glass from her, "You don't have to drink it."

Kayla leaned against the table, steadying herself. Dane joined her. "It's overstimulation. For people like you and me, we get overstimulated by stuff like this."

"I thought it was just anxiety." Kayla admitted.

"It's that too. I get it as well I mean."

Kayla grabbed the glass from Dane, took another terrible gulp of mead and then turned to Dane, "I once was in this Muggle shop and heard this kid say this phrase I've always wanted to say. -So, you wanna blow this popsicle stand?"

Dane nodded, "I don't know what that means, but yes."

Kayla made sure they grabbed an unguarded bottle of mead before they left.


	29. Unspeakable Notions

Catherine stared up at the ceiling of her room, one arm resting beneath her head. She sighed heavily as she stared upward. It was windy outside and the trees tossed and scraped her windows. But Catherine did not notice. She was concentrating on the sight above her. Christmas had come early for Catherine. Upon her arrival home, her mother had surprised her with bewitching her ceiling to look like the Andromeda galaxy. Before her, an orangish-yellowish star was at the center. Surrounded by that were swirls of orange, then pink, purple, before it gave way to a lighter and then deep blue. Comets zoomed across from one side of the room to the other.

Beneath her, Catherine's other Christmas present resided. She'd been gifted a celestial velvet quilt with a deep blue hue. While the wind outside rattled the windows, Catherine continued to stare upward at the ceiling. There was something so calming about staring into another galaxy. It helped her concentrate on the thoughts that were intruding her brain at a rapid pace.

Firstly, a few alarms had been raised as soon as Catherine had been picked up at King's Cross by her mother. Her mother seemed strangely over-joyous. She made no mention her letter on the journey home. As soon as Catherine had stepped over the threshold of the doorway, she knew something was off. She didn't need to be a Seer like Kayla or Dane to know that something was afoot and she needed to figure out what it was as soon as possible.

Having heard their entrance into the house, her father, Henry Delaney, stepped from his study and extended both of his arms. His grayish eyes had deep, dark circles beneath them. He was unshaven, and his clothes hung loosely from his frame. He must have lost weight. Catherine hugged him more tightly than she had expected herself to. Catherine had so many questions, she didn't know where to start. But something in his eyes echoed that of her mother's. It was a silent tell that meant something like, _Please don't say anything. Not yet at least._

Therefore, Catherine had said nothing. Her mother had grasped her hand and taken her upstairs. Her father followed them but lagged behind. Catherine had been welcomed back into her old room. Her mother exclaiming that she'd spent months practising bewitching ceilings and had wanted to surprise Catherine. Surely, Catherine's mother, worried sick about her husband facing an inquiry with the Ministry, had spent hours poring over books of how to bewitch ceilings. When Catherine noticed the quilt, she ran her hand over the soft velvet. Something wasn't right. Money should have been tight while her father was being investigated.

The rest of the evening, Catherine had been left alone. This gave her time to sit back and think, all while staring at her new ceiling. Tonight she would investigate her father's study when he and her mother went to bed. Or at least she would attempt to. There was a chance that her father had bewitched his study against intruders, even against his own daughter. But Catherine knew she had to at least try.

What did she know about her father and his job with the Ministry? As she thought back, she realized she didn't know much. Nor had she questioned it. Why hadn't she? Was it the foolish ignorance of a teenager that had kept her from asking her father what he did for a living? Had she not cared? Was it something else? Maybe she didn't want to know. If one thing was for certain, she would need to confront one of her parents about her father's work at the Ministry, or find out for herself what he was about. Since she was a young girl, her father's position had been shrouded in secrecy. Strangers often apparated or appeared by Floo network from the fireplace in his study to discuss important topics. There had been times where Catherine had pressed her ear against the heavy wooden door to the study. Although she could hear the rapid vibrations of footsteps, she could not hear any voices. Later, she realized they'd enchanted the room to prevent their conversations from being heard.

Catherine placed her chin on the palm of her hand and rested her elbow on top of her knee as she thought. Her head was still aching slightly still from her late night drinking with Dane and Kayla in the Room of Requirement. She tried to push the pain out of the way as she thought back to more memories that didn't add up. But the memory of the night before in the Room of Requirement pushed forward.

The night before, the three of them had entered the Room of Requirement and had gotten a bit drunk off of some mead that Kayla had stolen from Slughorn's party. That night, Catherine had joked again that Kayla had been wrongly sorted. They sat in a circle around a smoldering piece of parchment to keep warm. They swapped stories and Catherine listened as Kayla and Dane joked about the most awkward things they had Seen.

"I bumped into Professor Dumbledore once when I was rushing to Herbology once," Dane said, wiping his mouth from the swig he'd just taken of mead. "I had the sneaking suspicion that he knew from my first encounter with him that I was a Seer but I bumped into him and saw him... -At least I think it was him. But he was much younger. A boy I think. He was staring at another boy who was sitting in his window. I felt... things for the boy."

Kayla and Catherine leaned in closer, "What sort of things?" Catherine asked. Dane shook his head, "At the moment I felt as if I were Dumbledore. And I remember just staring at this boy in the window with wispy, soft blond hair. I felt like I needed to be near him. Like I needed to just touch his soft hair."

Catherine shot Kayla a look but she wasn't paying attention. "Well, Dumbledore _is_ gay, so that makes sense."

Catherine and Dane stared at Kayla incredulously. "How did you know this and never tell me?" Catherine asked.

Dane's mouth was still open for a moment before he asked, "Dumbledore is _gay_?"

Kayla, who had just taken a bite of chocolate frog, said with her mouth half full, "You mean you guys didn't know?"

Catherine and Dane shook their heads.

"I mean I always knew that Dumbledore was a bit, hard to understand, a bit uh..." Dane trailed off.

Kayla, who at this point was quite a bit tipsy, stared directly at Dane, "He's a bit, what?"

Catherine bit her lower lip. She'd forgotten, Dane didn't know about Kayla. He would have to choose his words very carefully if he were to develop his relationship with Kayla in any positive way.

When silence passed over them and Catherine couldn't take it anymore, she blurted, "Choose your words carefully."

Kayla took a long swig from the bottle of mead. "I've been attracted to members of the same and opposite sex. Do you have something against it?"

All of this catching up to Dane he immediately waved his hands in front of him, "NO! Not at all... I mean, I don't have a problem... I've never thought anything negative... I mean, I'm all for loving and liking whomever you desire. I just never thought Dumbledore..."

They sat in silence for a few more moments. Their thoughts seemed to chug behind them before finally catching up to their tongues.

"So does that mean you're... _bise-"_

 _"-_ I prefer to stay away from labels. I just like who I like. I read this Muggle book once that said, 'We cannot help where we will love' and I always thought that quote encompassed me."

Dane chewed on this for awhile. His cheeks were growing red from the mead.

"My most embarrassing moment," Kayla said, changing the subject, "Was when I saw who Snape had a crush on when he was a kid."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Catherine noticed Kayla's face grow quite pale. She knew that Kayla knew she had misspoke. This was something she'd been holding onto. It was something delicate and sensitive.

Dane also sensed this and changed the subject, "What is it with us finding out our professors had a love life that is so embarrassing?"

They thought about this for a moment. Catherine assumed it was because professors were lumped in a category that was purely academic. Knowing that their professors had personal lives just seemed highly intrusive.

The subject turned to their parents. Dane revealed that is mother and father were writers for the Daily Prophet. Kayla revealed to Dane that her parents had been missing for nearly six years now. Catherine said that her father worked for the Ministry and her mother had been a matron at St. Mungo's but had retired early. As they told stories from their childhood, Catherine pulled the letter from her mother out of her jacket.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Catherine sat upright, startled by the knock that broke her from her thoughts of the night before. Her head still ached.

Her mother's face was pale and Catherine leaned back as her mother crossed the room quickly. "Do you still have the letter I sent you?"

Catherine nodded and pulled it from her pocket. Her mother pulled out her wand, tore the letter away from Catherine and immediately set it aflame. It burned before it was nothing but ash that fluttered to the floor. Her mother flicked her wand again and the door shut with a loud thud. She waved a hand and flourished her wand. A silvery sheen fluttered over the room.

"I need to talk to you. We have a visitor coming and you need to be ready. We weren't expecting this so soon. I'm sorry. This was supposed to happen after the holidays."

Even though her mother had bewitched the room, she still spoke in a whisper.

"We're going to be entertaining a guest over the next week. His name is Mr. Saul Croaker. He works with your father at the Ministry. He's going to be staying with us while your father and him discuss certain important matters. I need you to promise me to not go meddling into things that ought not to be meddled in. This is important."

Catherine nodded, shaken by the whole thing.

"Mum, what does father do exactly?"

Her mother sighed, "I can't get into this now, Catherine. Mr. Croaker is going to be here any minute." Catherine's mom stood to leave but Catherine caught her by the wrist.

"Can you at least tell me his position at the Ministry? I won't meddle in anything. I just want to know."

Catherine's mother swallowed as she waved her wand and released the spell concealing their conversation. She sighed before saying, "Some things Catherine, you have to understand, are just unspeakable. I'm sorry." She gave her daughter a half-hearted smile before she left the room.

The door shut behind her with an even louder thud, which made Catherine wince.

She stared at the floor beneath her, where just specks of ash remained. The remnants of her mother's letter. Then, as if lightning had suddenly flashed through her brain, it came to her.

There was a reason her mother had taught her to write encrypted letters from a young age. Why they often communicated in code. Why her father had secret meetings in his study. Why her mother had been afforded the luxury to retire early while her father worked. There was a reason why her father's job was shrouded in secrecy and her mother had warned her.

Thunder rumbled outside.

Her father was an Unspeakable.

* * *

The mysterious Mr. Croaker hadn't appeared by dinnertime. Catherine had asked if she could take her dinner in her room. Her parents had obliged. They were much too concerned about their late guest than whether their daughter spent dinner with them. Catherine sat at her desk and mused over her new realization.

Her father was an Unspeakable at the Ministry. What did she know about Unspeakables? Well, as the name implied, not many knew what Unspeakables did. There was a high level of secrecy that surrounded the Department of Mysteries, which had to be the department her father worked for. But what did their work consist of?

Perhaps Kayla would know.

She immediately began penning a letter to Kayla. She was careful with her words. With a heightened state of security, she would also have to write in code. But she knew that no matter what Kayla would be able to decipher it.

Moments after she'd given the letter to her owl and watched him take off toward the horizon, she heard the door shut downstairs and the muffle of pleasantries being exchanged.

Mr. Saul Croaker had arrived. And if Catherine's assumptions were correct, Mr. Croaker was an Unspeakable as well. Two Unspeakables in one house at one time.

Catherine mused over her current situation. She wasn't quite sure if her chances at understanding what was going on had increased or decreased.

"Catherine! Please come down and meet our guest!" Her mother shouted in a tone that meant, _Come down here now. You have no choice._

As Catherine walked down the stairs she thought of her mother's concerned voice earlier that day. Surely, Mr. Croaker's presence was something that not exactly welcomed, but rather, tolerated. Catherine sighed as she came to the bottom of the stairs. Hopefully, Kayla would respond soon.

* * *

So far, Dane's plan on getting closer to Kayla was not working out. He'd risen early, dressed and entered the common room, his hair still damp, only to hear from a half-awake Ravenclaw girl that Kayla was not in the dormitory. This meant that she'd be in the library of course.

When Dane entered the library, he felt himself shiver. It was storming outside. Madam Pince was not at her usual post. The library was empty. -This was familiar.

This was exactly like the dream he'd had months before.

As he approached the windows, he stared at his reflection. He looked a mess. His damp hair was strewn this way and that way. His eyes were red. His cheeks still slightly tinged red from drinking too much alcohol. He felt something tug at him, just as it had done during his dream. He wandered the isles of books until he found Kayla, dressed in jeans and a white blouse that reminded him of the white nightgown from his dream. She had a book in her hand. As Dane approached her, she still did not notice him. She was staring down at a book, a quill in her hand, her fingers already stained with ink. She bit on her lower lip. Was he still asleep? Was this another dream?

The recollection of his dream made him warm all over as if he'd taken another long swig of mead. The dream he'd experienced months before had ended quite steamy. He remembered kissing her, wrapping himself around her and feeling her chest against his.

 _Was he asleep?_

He waved a hand in front of Kayla's face, which sent her reeling backward, as if she'd just been catapulted from a trance.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" She shouted. Dane flushed. _No. No. Definitely not dreaming!_

He felt his body flood with heat. He perched himself on desk beneath the bookshelf. "Sorry, sorry!" He exclaimed.

Kayla sighed and scrunched her curly hair. She continued writing as if he'd never interrupted her.

"What's going on? Has something happened?"

"Catherine sent me a letter this morning. It's written in code, but she thinks, well, she's almost certain her father is an Unspeakable."

"An Unspeakable?"

Kayla nodded. "She wants to know as much as I know about Unspeakables. So I had to do a little digging myself and now I have to convert what I know back into code and send it back to her immediately."

Dane nodded as he watched Kayla write. He felt his mind drifting. How could he get Kayla away from the books for awhile? Her mind always seemed to be going, and when she became overwhelmed, she would isolate herself. Perhaps, he could think of something...

"So far I've come across some interesting things about Unspeakables. Some of it is hearsay. But a lot of it adds up. For example, there are different chambers in the Department of Mysteries where they work."

"Chambers?" Dane asked, his mind fluttering to Hogsmeade and the idea of a date at Madame Puddifoot's. But perhaps that would be too cheesy.

"Yes. There's a Time Chamber where the Ministry's stock of Time-Turners were stored, prior to last year's possible events."

"What happened last-"

"There's a Death Chamber, a Thought Chamber, and a..." Kayla wrinkled her nose. "...A Love Chamber. Kinda gross."

Something fell in Dane. He was correct, Kayla was not into cheesy.

"But it's locked at all times apparently."

Dane searched his mind for other possibilities. He could of course take her to Tomes and Scrolls, but that would distract Kayla from them. Maybe tea was the right way to go. They could just concentrate on each other and not conspiracies or mysteries. At least for an hour or so.

"They're also not permitted to talk about the work they do as an Unspeakable. There are strict laws pertaining to their work."

He reached for Kayla's hand, but she was so wrapped up in her explanation and research, that she didn't even notice his touch. He watched as visions danced before his eyes. Her mind was flitting through thoughts as one does by flipping through pages of a book at a fast rate. He could barely keep up with her. Her mind was filled with thought after thought after thought. In just the few moments he'd entered her mind, he felt as if he'd been pushed into a race and he already could barely keep up.

In her mind, she flipped through book after book before she took out a copy of the Daily Prophet. When she slammed it down on the desk, he let go of her hand and stared down at it. "A known Unspeakable, Broderick Bode, was rumoured to be Imperiused into attempting to steal a prophecy regarding Harry Potter and You-Know-Who. Or at least that's what's speculated."

She shuffled some papers together and began to place the books back into their shelves. "I need to get this information to Catherine right away. If her father is an Unspeakable, it's possible the guest that's staying with her is one too. And he's possibly checking up on him. I need to get this letter out now..."

Dane caught Kayla by her wrist. He felt himself thrust into her thoughts. They were in the library still, but it seemed different. The space around them was tinged purple, books floated all around them and countess pieces of parchment. Finally realizing that he was in her head, Kayla turned.

"What?"

"Just, can we stop for a second?"

Kayla furrowed her brow, "No, I need to get this to Catherine. It's important."

She pulled away from him but he pulled her back and held her steadfast. "I understand it's important. I'll go with you to the Owlry. Just after..."

Was this what her mind was really like? File after file, book and parchment fluttering around her constantly.

"Will you go out with me? On a date?"

He could see her chest heaving up and down. She hadn't expected this.

A beat between them. "I know that-"

"-Yes." Kayla answered.

He looked up to meet her eyes. She nodded, a small smile spreading across her face, "Yes. I'll go on date with you."

She lifted the letter up, "After I send this off to Catherine."

Kayla pulled herself free from his grasp and took off, out of the library. Dane ran after her.


End file.
